The Graduate School has selected Diego Soto ’23 as its November 2024 GradBird Scholar recipient. GradBird Scholar is an initiative to recognize graduate students for their scholarly endeavors at Illinois State University.
Soto was born in Chicago, but grew up in Bloomington-Normal and attended Illinois State for a Bachelor of Science in exercise science. After graduating summa cum laude, he decided to pursue a master’s in exercise physiology where he is currently in his final year and will continue his education as a Ph.D. student in kinesiology.
Outside of his studies, he also enjoys learning new languages, playing and watching sports, spending quality time with his loved ones, and reading. In addition, he is currently the director of rehabilitation at a local chiropractic clinic.
What is your favorite part of your program?
This program has been incredibly rewarding, and I am lucky to have been able to work with such an amazing group of faculty since my undergraduate degree. My favorite part of the program is that I have the opportunity to be creative with my research interests and can count on the full support of the faculty. My main interest in research lies with exercise-based interventions in special populations, but I am also interested in preventative care. My program really facilitates my research and allows me to conduct studies in order to benefit diverse populations and improve health outcomes.
Do you work with a specific faculty/staff member to help with your research? What has your experience been like working with them?
I am extremely lucky to have the mentorship of some incredible faculty members in the department of Kinesiology and Recreation. The professor’s guidance I have been under since my undergraduate studies is Dr. Samantha McDonald. I have had the wonderful opportunity to assist with her research in improving physical activity programs during pregnancy, and she now assists me with my research as the chair of my thesis committee. Dr. Kelly Laurson and Dr. Tyler Kybartas are also on my thesis committee and have helped me immensely since my undergraduate studies and continue to be extremely supportive. They support my ideas and offer descriptive and constructive feedback. They truly want me to succeed and want my research to be of the highest quality possible.
Can you explain your research and the importance of it within your field?
My research study is to implement a 12-week comprehensive exercise intervention with the collaboration of a licensed physician on a patient with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). HSP refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative disorders. This means they typically get worse over time and the symptoms and severity can differ from person to person. It primarily causes symptoms in the legs and leads to issues with movement.
I will measure different outcomes before, in the middle, and after the exercise intervention. These outcomes are related to the main symptoms of the disease, such as leg stiffness, weakness, and difficulty walking. I will then compare these outcomes at different time points and look at the overall differences, so I know how effective the exercise intervention is.
Currently, there are no treatments to prevent, slow, or treat the disease, so symptom management is extremely important. Taking medications in order to manage the symptoms can bring about a wide variety of side effects. Exercise as a non-pharmacological approach for symptom management has been widely implemented in the past, but there is a lack of scientific research to back it up.
Why do you enjoy researching this topic and what more do you hope to learn about it?
Since I can remember, I have highly valued physical activity. The benefits of physical activity are numerous, not just in its physical benefits (e.g., maintaining or increasing muscle mass and bone density) but mental health benefits as well (e.g., reduction of stress and anxiety). Being someone that has been dealing with severe anxiety for quite some time, exercise has really helped me manage some of the associated symptoms. I think it’s important to educate others on the benefits of physical activity and offer guidance to those struggling to meet recommended physical activity levels. I hope to learn how to modify exercise programs for all kinds of special populations in order to positively affect health related outcomes. I also hope to find more information on what types of exercise, frequency, duration, and intensity are most beneficial for diverse types of conditions.
What do you hope further research about this topic will do to benefit the greater of society?
Further research on this topic can provide more concrete scientific evidence to support exercise as a nonpharmacological way to manage the symptoms of HSP. This study could serve as the base for more in-depth research with a larger group of participants. This exercise intervention could also offer better exercise guidelines to help manage similar symptoms in other conditions. Individuals with multiple sclerosis or that have suffered from a stroke typically have stiffness, muscular weakness, and problems with movement.
This study could not only help those with HSP, but also help many others suffering from neurological disorders. I hope further research will narrow down what types of exercise, frequency, duration, and intensity are both effective and feasible for people with these conditions to engage in.
Would you like to highlight anything else about your research or promote anything specific you are involved in?
I would like to highlight some other research studies I am involved in, such as improving physical activity programs during pregnancy and the exploration of the biomechanic and physiological profiles of athletes to prevent injury and optimize performance. Although I have a main research interest, there are a number of topics that fascinate me, such as physical activity during pregnancy and minimizing risk of injury and enhancing performance in athletes. I am planning to present some of the research I have been doing on changes in appendicular skeletal muscle mass in Division 1 collegiate baseball pitchers at the 2025 annual ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) conference.
I would also like to take this time to thank the GradBird Scholar committee for this opportunity to share my research and be able to tell others about its importance. I would also like to sincerely thank my mentors, family, and friends, since without them I would not be where I am today. I encourage those that are interested in exercise and preventative care to visit McCormick Hall and inquire about touring the exercise physiology and biomechanics labs and what services and projects are available. There is always some amazing research going on in there. I hope to continue researching different interventions in order to improve health outcomes in both special and general populations.
