Study of Human Anthropometry, Physiology, & Energy (SHAPE) Lab

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Our mission is to bridge the gap between patients and providers by developing cutting-edge tools and interventions that promote lifelong active and healthy lifestyles.

At the forefront of innovation in human performance and health science, the TCU SHAPE Lab is a dynamic research hub committed to transforming how we understand and improve health across the lifespan

Driven by a multidisciplinary approach, the SHAPE Lab focuses on:

Body Composition & Energy Balance — Exploring the complex interplay between metabolism, body composition, and health to inform precision-based interventions.
Artificial Intelligence in Health — Harnessing AI to extend health monitoring and personalized care beyond clinical walls—redefining how we predict, prevent, and manage chronic disease.
Appetite & Eating Behaviors — Investigating the psychological and physiological drivers of eating habits to better understand their impact on health and performance.

The SHAPE Lab is also home to the STAR Program (Supporting Tactical Athlete Readiness)—a specialized initiative dedicated to enhancing the physical and mental resilience of tactical athletes, including pre-military and active-duty personnel. Through rigorous research and training, STAR equips service members to thrive in high-stress, mission-critical environments.

Whether you're a student, researcher, or partner organization, the SHAPE Lab offers a collaborative space to push boundaries, challenge norms, and create meaningful change in human health and performance.

PARTICIPATE

Location

TCU Rickel Academic Wing

Room 256

Lab Members

Dr. Austin Graybeal holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in kinesiology from Texas Tech University. He completed his doctorate in kinesiology at Texas Christian University before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. There, Graybeal secured over $1 million in federal research funding and earned the university’s two highest honors for junior faculty: the Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award and the Nina Bell Suggs Endowed Professor Award. At TCU, Dr. Graybeal’s research focuses on body composition and energy balance, artificial intelligence in health technology, and appetite and eating behaviors. In addition to his academic and research roles, Dr. Graybeal is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He leverages this expertise to lead research initiatives focused on enhancing physical and mental readiness in tactical athletes.

Sarah Parnell is a first-year Ph.D. student in Kinesiology at TCU and a STARS Award recipient working under Dr. Austin Graybeal in the TCU SHAPE Lab. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and completed the first year of her master's at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she competed as an NCAA Division I distance runner. Her undergraduate honors thesis evaluated novel training volume indices as predictors of triad risk in track and field athletes, earning her recognition as Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Exercise Science and the Female Scholar Student-Athlete Award. After transferring to TCU to finish her master's, she defended a thesis examining how athletic and exercise identity shape body image in college students and helped launch the SHAPE Lab during its inaugural year. Her research sits at the intersection of applied human physiology, body composition, energy balance, and behavioral responses in athlete populations, with particular interest in thermoregulatory dysfunction, energy deficiencies, and the use of artificial intelligence for disease detection and monitoring.

Carly Johnson is a first-year Ph.D. student in Kinesiology at TCU, studying under Dr. Austin Graybeal. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Personal Health and Well-Being from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in Kinesiology, with a specialization in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, from Barry University. Her master's work included a thesis investigating whether a mindfulness-based strategy could optimize post-performance recovery, along with a randomized controlled trial examining magnesium L-threonate supplementation and human performance. Her research centers on athletic and tactical populations (competitive athletes, military personnel, and first responders) and whether evidence-based interventions can support readiness, resilience, and sustained performance under demanding conditions. She is also drawn to women's health, with an emphasis on how nutrition, supplementation, and recovery behaviors influence physical performance, cognitive function, and long-term health outcomes.

Hadley Phillips is a first-year master's student and Graduate Assistant in the Department of Kinesiology at TCU. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Abilene Christian University in May 2026, graduating as an Honors College student and competing as an NCAA Division I student-athlete in both cross country and track and field. During her undergraduate years, she served three semesters as an Anatomy and Physiology Lab Teaching Assistant before becoming an Assistant Instructor for Anatomy and Physiology I Lab. Her research interests include chronic disease prevention, improving general population health, and enhancing elite athletic performance through physiological advances; aligning closely with the mission of the SHAPE Lab.

Bailey Harrington earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from TCU in May 2026 and continued on as a first-year master's student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Kinesiology. Her assistantship is supported by two externally funded grants: one examining how mobile, 3D external scanning techniques can predict breast cancer risk, and another exploring how AI-driven resistance training can improve strength, balance, and independence in older adults. Her research interests align directly with the mission of the SHAPE Lab: developing cutting-edge tools and interventions that promote lifelong active and healthy living.

Lab Equipment

The SHAPE Lab occupies roughly 1,200 square feet of dedicated research space within TCU's Department of Kinesiology and ranks among the most comprehensively equipped human performance and body composition laboratories in the region. Under one roof, we can characterize the human body from nearly every angle: bone, lean mass, fat mass, fluid balance, muscle architecture, and three-dimensional surface geometry, with the complete instrument suite required to model body composition at the gold-standard four-compartment level. That same space integrates a full battery of force, power, and neuromuscular assessment tools alongside both AI-adaptive and traditional resistance-training systems, letting us move from precision measurement to intervention without a participant ever leaving the lab.

Body Composition & Anthropometrics

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) — GE Lunar iDXA with enCORE v18 software. Total and segmental bone mineral, lean mass, and fat mass, with the sensitivity to detect subtle bilateral asymmetries in site-specific bone mineral density. Operated by a certified DXA technician in compliance with Texas radiation safety regulations.

Air Displacement Plethysmography — COSMED BodPod for whole-body composition and body volume.

Multifrequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis — Seca mBCA Ultra with octapolar BIA and an integrated ultrasonic stadiometer and scale. Captures height, weight, total and segmental body composition, and fluid balance, synced to the Seca cloud system.

3D Optical Scanner — SizeStream wall-mounted Mobile Fit Scanner. Thousands of surface data points quantify segmental body volume, surface anthropometrics, and volumetric asymmetry — with no ionizing radiation.

Diagnostic Ultrasound — GE ultrasound system for muscle architecture (cross-sectional area, muscle thickness) and grayscale echo-intensity analysis as a validated proxy for intramuscular adipose tissue infiltration.

Strength, Power & Neuromuscular Assessment

Portable Instrumented Dynamometry — Hawkin Dynamics TruStrength Gen 3, in both portable and rack-mounted configurations, with handgrip instrumentation and a full attachment package for multi- and isolated-joint torque assessment (knee flexion/extension, hip abduction, and more). Automated peak force and rate of force development (RFD) via the Hawkin cloud database.

Bilateral Force Plates — Hawkin Dynamics TruStrength force plates with surrounding safety padding for objective assessment of force, power, balance, and bilateral joint torque (e.g., belted isokinetic squat), cloud-integrated for automated peak force and RFD.

Real-time feedback — two wall-mounted 55-inch streaming displays deliver live performance metrics during testing and training.

Resistance Training Systems

AI-Adaptive Resistance Training — OxeFit XS1 with OxeAI, complete with the full accessory package and OxeLead software subscription. Delivers real-time, autoregulated load adjustment and captures session-level historical data for analysis.

Single Rack System — Sorinex Base Camp single rack with adjustable jammer arms, J-squat attachment, utility seat, full safety bars and straps, J-hooks, and band pegs — paired with over 1,000 lbs of rubber-coated plates (2.5–45 lb increments), three 45-lb barbells, an EZ bar, and a hex bar.

Squat Stand — Rogue SML-1 Monster Lite squat stand with Monster Lite spotter arms, adjustable bench press, J-cups, and two Rogue 45-lb barbells.

Plate-Loaded Leg Extension — Titan Fitness cushioned, plate-loaded leg extension machine.

Cardiovascular & Physiological Monitoring

Heart Rate & Pulse Oximetry — 12 Polar chest straps and 12 Garmin vívosmart 5 units running Labfront software for session-level heart rate and pulse oximetry.

Blood Pressure — Omron digital blood pressure monitor.

Complete Wet Lab — A fully equipped wet lab supports the collection, processing, storage, and biochemical analysis of blood and other biological samples, extending the lab's physiological assessments from movement and body composition to circulating biomarkers.