We’re No. 1: UH Health and Human Performance Tops in the Nation

The University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) is tops in the nation. That's according to Academic Analytics' Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, an independent ranking of doctoral programs in research universities across the country. The UH program was ranked No. 1 among colleges and universities with health, physical education and recreation programs based on scholarly work in 2007.

"This confirms that our program is on the move," said Charles Layne, professor and department chair. "Our faculty is involved in a variety of research projects with collaborators at the Texas Medical Center, NASA and other investigators around the world. These active research agendas provide valuable opportunities for our students to become involved in cutting-edge research."

Rankings are based on the book and journal publications of faculty, along with their journal article citations and federally funded grants and honorific awards.

HHP researchers focus on a variety of critical subjects such as children's health, tobacco and drug use, motor skills research applicable to astronauts, the elderly, spinal cord and Parkinson's patients, and obesity through the Texas Obesity Research Center housed at HHP. In addition, the Laboratory of Integrated Physiology offers opportunities for the research and testing of muscle strength, motor coordination and motor performance testing, learning and memory assessment, and biochemical analysis of biological samples.

"A visit to the department's laboratory captures in a glance the exciting research that is being undertaken," said Donald Birx, vice president for research at UH. "It is highly visible, energetic and engaging, and it is changing and challenging the way we live."

In 2005, the HHP doctoral program was rated in the top 20 of such programs in the country by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

To view the Academic Analytics rankings, visit www.academicanalytics.com/TopSchools/TopPrograms.aspx#6.

For more information on the UH Department of Health and Human Performance, visit www.hhp.uh.edu/.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.