By Byron Crane, Media Relations Student Intern
 
When Chris Sundberg first stepped on the Wyoming campus in 2004 to play Cowboy Football, his mind was set on making the NFL.  Little did he know that in a matter of 14 years he would achieve a completely different life goal by earning a Ph.D.
 
While playing tight end for Wyoming, Sundberg studied human physiology, exercise physiology and biomechanics to enhance his performance on the field.  As a result of taking these classes, he gained an interest in the discipline he would later pursue in graduate school.


Chris Sundberg performs a muscle biopsy 


After blowing out his knee in a game against Virginia, Sundberg flew to Alabama for surgery and began to accept that his dream of playing sports professionally might not come true.
 
Sundberg said in addition to having a good work ethic, perseverance and integrity, the most important lesson he learned during and after his student-athlete days is that, "Nothing in life is fair, except for the fact that we all get 24 hours in a day.  What separates mediocrity from excellence is what we choose to do in those 24 hours."
 
After his injury, he began thinking about using those hours to study a new profession. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wyoming and immediately began work on a master's degree.  He became part of the Biomechanics Lab within the Health Sciences' Division of Kinesiology and Health at UW where he fell in love with research and considered getting a Ph.D.  He also discovered another love during this time, his future wife, Kelsie.
 
After graduating from UW, Chris and Kelsie moved to Milwaukee, Wis., and enrolled at Marquette University — Chris to begin a Ph.D. program and Kelsie a master's program as a physician assistant (PA).  She now works as an emergency department PA in Milwaukee area hospitals.
 
When Sundberg first entered the Department of Physical Therapy at Marquette to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical & Translational Rehabilitation Health Sciences, the program was relatively new.  While there, he focused on factors that limit the function of the nervous system and muscles as the body ages.  He said his primary research included, "identifying the etiologies of muscle fatigue and the physiological processes that limit human physical performance in health, disease and aging."
 
His current research attempts to understand the mechanisms responsible for the age-related loss in muscle power production and increased fatigue.
 
Sundberg intends to use his Ph.D. to design and develop targeted interventions to improve muscle power production and physical performance in healthy, young athletic populations, as well as in the aging population.
 
Since receiving his Ph.D. on May 20, 2018, Sundberg has been a postdoctoral research associate at Marquette in neuromuscular physiology and is completing research he began in the latter part of his studies there.
 
His goal is to follow a tenure track at a top-tier research institution, and his dream job would have him staying at Marquette.  He understands, however, that positions in academics can be rare, so he and Kelsie are prepared to move to another institution.  In the meantime, he's determined to continue receiving research funding, so that he remains a competitive applicant at Marquette or elsewhere.
 
Although Sundberg's years playing collegiate sports are behind him, he firmly believes in the importance of student-athletes' education.
 
When asked what advice he has for current UW student-athletes trying to balance sports and academics, he said, "Embrace and cherish every moment and every opportunity you are given while you are a student-athlete.  Work as hard as you possibly can to succeed, both in your sport and in the classroom, and you will be shocked by the number of possibilities that will be opened to you later in life."
 
"It is incredibly difficult to balance the physical, mental and emotional demands of being a student-athlete, but in the end, it will be something that you never regret as long as
you give it your all," said Sundberg.  "It is absolutely essential for an athlete to graduate with a degree.  The unfortunate reality of athletics is that the vast majority won't make it to the next level, and even those who do can never know how quickly their career will end.
 
"Having a college degree is your insurance, so when your athletic career ends, you will have a firm foundation to pursue a different career."