Derek Monroe

Bio & Education

Dr. Monroe’s research generally concerns the relationship between behavior and brain structure & function. His laboratory leverages principles and methods from the emerging fields of systems physiology and network neuroscience to understand the healthful effects of regular exercise and the detrimental effects of brain injury on so-called ‘brain health’. Recently, Dr. Monroe’s work has focused on interactions at the brain-body interface, which are theorized to represent the basic substrate of consciousness and mind, and the potential for brain-body coupling to serve as a modifiable biomarker of brain health. Bolstered by collaborations with engineers and clinicians, Dr. Monroe’s ultimate goal is to inform a role for exercise and sport in the promotion and rehabilitation of brain health across the lifespan..

Courses Taught

• KIN 730 (Neural Principles of Motor Control)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS: 

Monroe DC, Cecchi NJ, Gerges P, Phreaner J, Hicks JW, Small SL. (2020) A Dose Relationship between Brain Functional Connectivity and Cumulative Head Impact Exposure in Collegiate Water Polo Players. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, 218.

Monroe DC, Patel N, McCully KK, Dishman RK. (2020) The Effects of Exercise on Mood and Prefrontal Brain Responses to Emotional Scenes in Smokers. Physiology & Behavior, 213, 112721.

 Cecchi, NJ, Monroe, DC, Oros, TJ, Small, SL, & Hicks, JW. (2020) Laboratory evaluation of a wearable head impact sensor for use in water polo and land sports. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, 234(2), 162-169.

Dunn CE, Monroe DC, Crouzet C, Hicks JW, Choi B. (2019) Speckleplethysmographic (SPG) Estimation of Heart Rate Variability During an Orthostatic Challenge. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-9.