Personnel

C.J. Brush, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Laboratory Director

Office: KINE 168

Lab: KINE 148

Dr. Brush is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University. Dr. Brush received his Ph.D. in Kinesiology & Applied Physiology from Rutgers University in 2019 under the mentorship of Dr. Brandon Alderman and came to Auburn University after starting his career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho. Before then, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Greg Hajcak in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience at Florida State University from 2019-2022.

Dr. Brush's research program uses a multi-method approach that combines self-reports, interview-based, and psychophysiological measures (e.g., event-related brain potentials [ERPs] and heart rate variability [HRV]) to better understand and inform treatments for depression and related psychopathology.

Dr. Brush's primary research interest is to investigate relations between health-related behaviors (e.g., physical activity) and psychological and mental health outcomes (e.g., cognition, emotion, and depression) and how these health-related behaviors play a role in the treatment and management of depression. To accomplish this work, Dr. Brush's work has focused on identifying individual differences in cognitive-affective processes using psychophysiological measures, and how acute and chronic physical activity may impact such processes to influence mental health outcomes.

Outside the lab, Dr. Brush enjoys the outdoors and staying active. He is also an avid supporter of his favorite sports teams which includes his alma mater (the Rutgers Scarlet Knights) along with the New York Yankees and New York Jets.

cj_brush_cv.pdf

Research Staff

Karly Knudson (she/her)

Role: Doctoral Student
Second Year

Karly grew up in the Bay Area (California) before attending the University of Idaho. She began working in the PAL Laboratory in January 2023 to gain experience conducting research. She has always been interested in the psychology behind human emotion and movement sciences, separately. Since joining the lab, she has had the opportunity to combine these two interests and dive into researching how health-related factors, such as physical activity, can affect mental health. Karly received a research grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) at the University of Idaho and is currently wrapping up a study exploring the acute effects of exercise on neurocognitive and emotional processes. Karly is currently in her second year as Ph.D. student in Kinesiology.

Undergraduate Student Research Staff:

2025-Present (TBA soon)

Lab Alumni:

2024-2025

Graduate Students:

Rheanna Anderson (M.S. in Kinesiology and Leisure Sciences)

Maya Kobylanski (M.S. in Kinesiology and Leisure Sciences; Graduated Spring 2025)

Gabe MacAlevy (M.D. Student; WWAMI)

Undergraduate Students:

Austin Simon (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Jessica Fullerton (Senior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Jacob Kachur (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Annika Jozin (Senior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Psychology)

Sheridan Pesnell (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Alex Lee (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Sage Dodd (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Emily McGee (Junior Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Nate Durocher (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences, Spring 2023-Fall 2024)

Dalton Martin (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences, Fall 2023-Fall 2024)

2023-2024

Undergraduate Students:

Samantha Brunker (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Psychology)

Lael Beedle (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

Saffron Dowse (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Psychology)

Robi Robi (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Biological Engineering)

Kaitlyn Uemoto (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Psychology)

Macie Vanmatre (Undergraduate Researcher; Major: Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences)

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