The Division of Exercise Medicine is dedicated to advancing the understanding of how physical activity, growth and development, and sleep impact health throughout the lifespan.

We translate exercise science into impactful diagnostics, therapeutics and public health initiatives, with expertise that spans child, adolescent and adult populations.

The division also plays a central role in training the next generation of exercise medicine clinicians and physician-scientists through its association with the Academy of Exercise Medicine and the development of formal training programs in exercise medicine, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Working collaboratively with UC Irvine and Rady Children’s Health Orange County clinicians, UC Irvine faculty at the Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Biological Sciences and Public Health and the Departments of Psychiatry, Informatics and Computer Science, as well as with national and international partners, the division drives breakthrough discoveries that enhance health, performance and well-being. Our facilities include a dedicated pediatric exercise assessment and training center and a state-of-the-art sleep laboratory, enabling integrated studies on how exercise and sleep shape lifelong health.

Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS)

The Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS) serves as the division’s primary research hub. RCEMS provides infrastructure for advanced human performance testing, including specialized protocols for pediatric exercise and sleep physiology, as well as objective assessments of physical activity and behavioral evaluations. The center facilitates laboratory-based mechanistic research, interventional studies and exercise- and sleep-focused clinical trials, with dedicated expertise in both healthy pediatric populations and those impacted by chronic clinical conditions.

Learn more about the center
Bio Sci 199 Undergraduate Research

Offered through the UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences, this program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to conduct mentored experimental laboratory, field or clinical research for graded units.

GET INVOLVED iN BIO SCI 199
Medical Student Research Program (MSRP)

The MSRP, offered through the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, is a four-year research program in which medical students participate in translational biomedical scholarly projects under the mentorship of a faculty member.

EXPLORE MSRP
Medical Degree Program Research Elective

The 699P Pediatric Departmental Research course elective allows UC Irvine medical students to pursue research projects under the supervision of a Department of Pediatrics faculty member.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ELECTIVE

Save the Date: CPET4KIDS 2026 Practicum

Save the date for an engaging, hands-on practicum in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for children and adolescents, hosted by UC Irvine Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep/Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center in collaboration with the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM). This two-day workshop will take place March 13-14, 2026, at UC Irvine. More details coming soon — we look forward to welcoming you!

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Shlomit Aizik, PhD
Shlomit Aizik, PhD

Executive Director, Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS)

Exercise Medicine Division Chief
Shlomit Aizik, PhD
Shlomit Aizik, PhD

Executive Director, Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS)

Exercise Medicine Division Chief
Dan Cooper, MD
Dan Cooper, MD

Distinguished Professor, Pediatrics

Interim Executive Director, UCI Institute for Precision Health
Candice Lucas, MD, MPH
Candice Lucas, MD, MPH

Co-Director, PRIME LEAD-ABC Program

Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Ariel Neikrug, PhD
Ariel Neikrug, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior

Associate Director of Research, Train New Trainers Psychiatry Fellowship Program

Fadia Haddad, PhD