Preclinical and Clinical Studies

The Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems (CRHTS) has a range of capabilities for both animal and human subject studies.

CRHTS personnel includes veterinary physicians whose expertise spans virtually every animal species and disease. These researchers include interventional radiologists, surgeons and pathologists from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the Comparative Medicine Program, and Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies.

Center-related facilities, which can accommodate small and large animals, include surgical suites, imaging facilities, clinical pathology, pre-op, recovery and intensive care as well as animal housing and exceptional animal care. Programs are accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) through its affiliation with other AAALAC-accredited Texas A&M programs.

CRHTS personnel also includes life scientists and clinicians from kinesiology, medicine and public health who can work with human subjects and patients, from infants to the elderly. Their expertise spans most disease states as well as disease prevention, enabling CRHTS the capability to work with human subjects in well-controlled environments such as in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab and the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity. CRHTS capabilities include the capacity to work with subjects or patients in the field, including the workplace to assess occupational health and other populations such as K-12 school children, elder care facility patients and other communities.

Center Researchers*

  • Mark Benden, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Nicolaas Deutz, Health and Kinesiology
  • Sherecce Fields, Psychological & Brain Sciences
  • Richard Kreider, Health and Kinesiology
  • Andrew Nordin, Health and Kinesiology
  • Marcia Ory, Health Promotion and Community Sciences

* Disclaimer – Each Faculty Member has individual research laboratories, where they conduct specific research structured to their particular field.

Facilities
Equipment

Animal

  • Environmentally controlled macro- and micro-environments for a variety of laboratory animals including individual large- and small-animal housing, barn and pasture support, and the ability to isolate animal populations between species, vendors, investigators and disease status.
  • Blood collection and assessment
  • Animal surgical suites, plus a hybrid imaging suite
  • Animal pre-op, recovery and intensive care suites
  • Advanced animal imaging facilities, including an MRI/Interventional suite equipped with a 3T MRI and fluoroscopy, 128 slice PET/CT

Human

  • Clinical research facility for controlled testing, including nursing staff and overnight stays
  • Field testing in K-12, workplace, and elder care facilities
  • Anaerobic capacity testing
  • Blood collection and assessment
  • Body composition
  • Bone density
  • Cardiopulmonary testing
  • Endurance performance testing
  • Muscle biopsy
  • Resting energy expenditure
  • Strength testing
  • Total body water assessment
  • Exercise training

Accessibility improvements are in progress ahead of the April 2027 deadline. If you need immediate access, visit our Accommodations page.