Terence Moriarty, PhD

What drove your interest in this discipline? I contribute my passion for sports and school as the guiding force that drove my interest in the discipline. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be decent at soccer and really enjoyed academics. This combination stemmed a curious fascination with exercise in all capacities. Seeing the positive impact exercise can have on an individual of any age brings so much joy to my heart. Exercise really is medicine.

Why you enjoy what you do: Having played collegiate level soccer during my undergraduate degree in Ireland, soccer is my favorite leisure time activity. However, having sustained a few injuries throughout my career, I have recently reverted to running. In addition to soccer and running, I enjoy weightlifting as well as catching up with my friends and family at home in Ireland.

Teaching philosophy: For me, teaching is all about the students. I am appreciative of my position every day and try to foster an environment that is open-minded and fun. I aim to bring a positive attitude and high expectations to the classroom each day. I believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the students as well. I hold myself to a high teaching standard and take great pride in creating a learning experience where each student is successful. It is worth teaching well, because then, learning continues well past the last day of class. It becomes a habit of mind, a practice of life. I feel that my teaching philosophy along with my hunger and desire to be dynamic and cultivate a sense of positive synergy will continue to allow me to reach the students at the University of Northern Iowa.        

What do you hope students learn from you? That hard work always pays off. As a young kid from Ireland, I always dreamed of getting the chance to experience school and life in the U.S. Since getting here, I have worked as hard as possible and grasped every opportunity with two hands. I truly believe hard work is the key to success, and I try to instill this in my students too.

Research Interests: My current research interests stem around the impact of acute and chronic aerobic and resistance exercise on brain oxygenation (via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)) and cognitive function in healthy and clinical populations. I find this area fascinating and hope to continue my research along these lines. In addition to this, I am passionate about studying the cognitive benefits associated with supplementation and nutritional interventions.

Professional Accomplishments: 

Moriarty, T., Johnson, A., Thomas, M., Evers, C., Auten, A., Cavey, K., Dorman, K., & Bourbeau, K. (2022) Acute Aerobic Exercise-Induced Motor Priming Improves Piano Performance and Alters Motor Cortex Activation. Frontiers in Psychology, 1200. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.825322

Saeidi, A., Shishavan, S. R., Soltani, M., Tarazi, F., Doyle-Baker, P. K., Mollabashi, S. S., Khosravi, N., Laher, I., Moriarty, T. A., Johnson, K. E., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Zouhal, H. (2022) Differential Effects of Exercise Programs on Neuregulin 4, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Men with Obesity, Frontiers in Physiology, section Exercise Physiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.797574

Mang, Z., Moriarty, T., Realzola, R. A., Millender, D. J., Wells, A. D., Houck, J. M., Bellissimo, G. F., Fennel, Z. J., Beam, J. R., Mermier, C. M., Amorim, F. T., Kravitz, L. (2021) A Metabolic Profile of Peripheral Heart Action Training, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2020.1856315 

Bourbeau, K., Moriarty, T., Bellovary, B., Bellissimo, G., Ducharme, J., Haeny, T., Zuhl, Z. (2021) Cardiovascular, Cellular, and Neural Adaptations to Hot Yoga versus Normal-Temperature Yoga, International Journal of Yoga, 14(2), 115. https://www.ijoy.org.in/text.asp?2021/14/2/115/315757

Escobar, K., Welch, A., Wells, A., Fennel, Z., Nava, R., Li, Z., Moriarty, T., Nitta, C., Zuhl, M., Mermier, C., Amorim, F. (2021) Autophagy response to acute high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training is dissimilar in skeletal muscle and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and is influenced by sex, Human Nutrition & Metabolism, 23, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hnm.2020.200118

Moriarty, T., Bourbeau, K., Fontana, F., McNamara, S., and Pereira da Silva, M. (2021) The Relationship between Psychological Stress and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors during COVID-19 among Students in a US Midwest University, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4752. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094752

Moriarty, T., Bourbeau, K., Mermier, C., Kravitz, L., Gibson, A., Beltz, N., Negrete, O., Zuhl, M. (2020) Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Improves Cognitive Function Among CVD Patients. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention, 40(6), 407-413. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCR.0000000000000545  

Moriarty, T., Bourbeau, K., Mermier, C., Kravitz, L., Gibson, A., Beltz, N., Negrete, O., Zuhl, M. (2020) Exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Modulates Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation during Submaximal Exercise Testing in Cardiovascular Disease Patients. Behavioral Sciences, 10(6), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10060104

VanDusseldorp, T. A., Escobar, K. A., Johnson, K. E., Stratton, M. T., Moriarty, T., Kerksick, C. M., Mangine, G. T., Holmes, A. J., Lee, M., Endito, M. R., Mermier, C. M. (2020) Impact of Varying Dosages of Fish Oil on Recovery and Soreness Following Eccentric Exercise. Nutrients, 12(8), 2246. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082246

Bourbeau, K., Moriarty, T., Ayanniyi, A., Zuhl, M. (2020) The Combined Effect of Exercise and Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety: Systematic Review and Meta−Analysis. Behavioral Sciences, 10, 116; https://doi:10.3390/bs10070116

Moriarty, T., Mermier, C., Kravitz, L., Gibson, A., Beltz, N., Zuhl, M. (2019) Acute Aerobic Exercise Based Cognitive and Motor Priming: Practical Applications and Mechanisms. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2790.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02790

Moriarty, T., Bourbeau, K., Bellovary, B., & Zuhl, M. N. (2019). Exercise Intensity Influences Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation during Cognitive Testing. Behavioral Sciences, 9(8), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9080083