Sarah M. Greising, PhD, associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Skeletal Muscle Plasticity and Regeneration Laboratory (SMPRL), received a 4-year mid career development (K02) grant from the National Institutes on Aging (NIA). The award titled, “Age, Injury, and the Neuromuscular Junction”, allows Dr. Greising to expand her research program to evaluate age-related pathologies in skeletal muscle, and it provides dedicated time to learn new skills that will be incorporated into her lab. Specifically, this work will evaluate the neuromuscular junction. As the point of contact between a motor neuron and skeletal muscle fiber, it initiates muscle contraction and allows physical movement across the lifespan. Without innervation, due to a loss of this connection, muscle fibers cannot contract, significantly reducing function. Dr. Greising’s work seeks to understand the similarities that occur at the neuromuscular junction with aging and injury to identify treatment targets to improve function and physical movement.