About

As the Executive Director of the Sydney and J.L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, I welcome you to examine our mission, history, activities, and events detailed on our website. You will get a clear snapshot of the numerous activities, accomplishments, and opportunities involving Huffines Institute-affiliated faculty and student members from across the Texas A&M campus. Our Huffines-affiliated faculty and students have made and continue to make significant contributions to research, education, and professional organizations that impact the broad fields of health and exercise science, sports medicine, and athletic performance. Needless to say, I am very excited about the upcoming Huffines Institute-sponsored activities, and I hope you consider joining the vibrant environment on the Texas A&M campus and the Huffines Institute.

We also must acknowledge the forward-thinking individuals who laid the foundation for all of those who have and will benefit from the Huffines Institute. These individuals include Dr. Jack Wilmore’s vision, financial resources provided by an endowment by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Huffines, and a separate estate gift from Mike and Debbie Hilliard. The path to today was also paved by the outstanding leadership of prior Institute Directors Dr. Stephen Crouse and Dr. Tim Lightfoot. A special thank you is reserved for the tireless work of Dr. Jenna Yentes, who, in her recent service as Acting Director of the Huffines Institute, successfully led the Institute into a new era of growth and productivity by developing new interactions, programs, and initiatives. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary place in the Huffines Institute legacy that has served as the x-factor in all the success to date; these individuals are the talented, creative, and motivated Texas A&M undergraduate and graduate students who have been the boots on the ground for all the successful initiatives and events over the years.

In closing, it is my hope, after reviewing our events and activities, that you are as excited as I am for how the Sydney and J.L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance can continue to grow in the role as a critical catalyst at Texas A&M for education, research, and community interaction in the broadly defined areas of sports medicine and human performance.

Sincerely,

James Carson, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Sidney and J.L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine & Human Performance

In 1999, Dr. Jack Wilmore and several faculty members at Texas A&M; University began to meet to connect the science and practice of sports medicine and human performance more closely. Dr. Wilmore and his colleagues witnessed the gradual separation between researchers in sports medicine and human performance areas from the implementation strategies by clinicians, practitioners, and coaches. Thus, the premise for forming and growing the Huffines Institute was born.

Since our beginning, the Huffines Institute’s mission has evolved to connect exercise scientists, practitioners, and the public to help spread the word that activity and exercise are the cheapest and most efficient forms of disease prevention and symptom alleviation. We believe that the Institute’s mission will lead to better health for the general public. The Huffines Institute continues to provide important health-related research and information to clinicians, practitioners, and the public through our podcasts, sponsored lectures, and Hilliard Discussions.

As we examine all the activities the Huffines Institute has been involved in, we must look back to acknowledge the forward-thinking individuals who laid the foundation for all of those who have and will benefit from the Huffines Institute. These individuals include Dr. Jack Wilmore’s vision, financial resources provided by an endowment by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Huffines, and a separate estate gift from Mike and Debbie Hilliard. The path to today was also paved by the outstanding leadership of prior Institute Directors Dr. Stephen Crouse, Dr. Tim Lightfoot, and Dr. Jenna Yentes. These individuals successfully led the Institute into new areas of growth and productivity through the development of new interactions, programs, and initiatives that are located throughout this website. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary place in the Huffines Institute legacy that has served as the x-factor in all the success to date; these individuals are the talented, creative, and motivated Texas A&M; undergraduate and graduate students who have been the boots on the ground for all the successful initiatives and events over the years.

We invite you to join our community that is dedicated to investigating, applying, and engaging in a dialogue about sports medicine and human performance. You can easily listen to or watch any of our podcasts and use our exclusive content. But we hope you won’t stop there. Connect to us through Twitter to stay up with the daily happenings at the Huffines Institute. We are working to make access to Sports Medicine and Human Performance easy for you and the World.