Danielle Sterner is a doctoral candidate in Kinesiology under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Stout in the Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Laboratory. Her research focuses on enhancing human performance by measuring and manipulating the physiological and perceptual mechanisms that influence fatigue, exercise tolerance, and muscle function. As a part of this work, Danielle developed the Physical Working Capacity at Pain Intensity Threshold (PWCPIT), a novel, non-invasive method to assess fatigue thresholds and localized muscular function. Her dissertation research investigates the reliability and validity of PWCPIT for detecting perceptual responses and sensitivity to changes in exercise intensity. She is also exploring the effects of sprint interval training on pain tolerance and performance capacity using PWCPIT testing.
Her additional research interests include examining the role of nutritional supplementation in delaying fatigue and enhancing recovery, as well as integrating body composition and cellular health metrics into performance monitoring to track adaptations, recovery, and injury risk. Danielle has co-authored peer-reviewed publications and presented her work at national and international conferences. She has contributed to research teams supported by external funding sources including Abbott Nutrition, Ocean Spray, Microphyt, and federally funded projects through the National Institute on Aging and NIH.
In the classroom, Danielle has taught undergraduate courses such as Motor Development and Learning and Assessment and Evaluation in Kinesiology, earning strong teaching evaluations and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students. With a background as a strength and conditioning coach, she bridges applied practice with laboratory science to advance understanding of human performance, fatigue, and recovery.
