Olivia Hinklin, a spring graduate of Gonzaga University, joined the Health, Brain & Cognition Lab this summer, training to replace Post Baccalaureate Research Associate and BOOST PA Exercise Specialist Hayley Chappell, who begins studies at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine this fall.

At Gonzaga, located in Spokane, Washington, Olivia earned her Bachelor of Science in human physiology, with a minor in psychology. The exercise specialist job, she says, “is a great fit for my career goals. I want to get a PhD in kinesiology with a concentration in sports psychology to hopefully become a sports psychologist and work with athletes. I was looking for research assistant positions in the human physiology world.”

Raised in Longmont, Colorado, where she was a high school cross country and track athlete, Olivia enjoyed her time in the Pacific Northwest. At Gonzaga, she spent a year developing a research project to explore the effects of ketosis on dexterity, conditioning and metabolism in cold and hypoxic conditions. Ketosis results from a diet with a reduced intake of carbohydrates, causing the body to burn fat instead of glucose for energy.

For the BOOST PA (physical activity) study, Olivia will run exercise tests for participants and help them adhere to their exercise program requirements. She hopes to find time to pursue her own research interests as well. “I’d love to be able to look into how exercise training changes thinking patterns to help think about treatment options in the clinical setting that could be applied to sports psychology,” she says.

In her free time, Olivia says “I love running, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, anything outdoors.”