When Shelby Baez was an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill, she had her sights set on becoming a political correspondent for “Good Morning America.” At the time, she was majoring in journalism and considering law school.

Then, she enrolled in a class taught by Kevin Guskiewicz, a former Carolina researcher who studies traumatic brain injuries in young athletes who play contact sports like football. That’s when she discovered UNC-Chapel Hill’s athletic training program — and everything changed. A former high school athlete who played basketball, softball, and volleyball, Baez was intrigued.

“He helped me connect to the program director, and the rest is history,” she says. “My initial goal was to become the head athletic trainer for the national women’s soccer team. But once I started doing research during my master’s program, I realized I wanted to help patients in a deeper way. That’s what led me to pursue a PhD.”

Stories like Baez’s are common in college —students changing majors after a series of unexpected and often serendipitous experiences. But what if those opportunities came sooner?

That’s the idea behind UNC-Chapel Hill’s annual Research and Discovery Fair: to connect undergraduate students with researchers who are eager to welcome them into their labs and projects. Baez will be one of 26 participants at this year’s fair, part of University Research Week, on Wednesday, October 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the FPG Student Union.

“Engaging in research early allows you to develop critical thinking skills that are essential for any career path,” says Baez, now an exercise and sport scientist at Carolina. “It also strengthens your ability to work in teams, communicate effectively, and grow your professional network.”

UNC Research Stories sat down with Baez to learn more about her work and why research experiences can be transformative for students.

What’s the main goal of your research?

I lead the Psychology of Sport Injury Laboratory, where we work with patients and health care providers to improve recovery after sport injuries — not just physically, but mentally and socially, too. We focus mainly on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries but also study chronic ankle instability, knee pain, and rotator cuff injuries. Our goal is to help people return to the activities they love, avoid reinjury, and improve their overall quality of life.

What projects are you working on now?

We’re running two clinical trials to help people overcome the mental hurdles that can come after ACL surgery. One uses virtual reality mindfulness meditation to reduce fear, improve movement, and even change brain activity. The other combines exposure therapy with mindfulness meditation to help patients feel more confident and react faster during physical activity.

We also partner with local physical therapy clinics to offer free return-to-sport assessments — like strength testing — for people recovering from ACL surgery. We send a “report card” back to their provider to help guide their care. This kind of testing isn’t always available in clinics, so it fills a big gap.

What are the biggest challenges in your research?

Finding enough patients to participate in our studies. There are several ACL researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, which can make recruitment competitive. But we see this as a chance to build partnerships with providers across the Triangle and reach a more diverse group of patients that better represents North Carolina.

What’s the most surprising discovery your team has made recently?

We’ve found that sleep problems after ACL surgery may be more common — and more harmful — than people realize. Poor sleep can lower motivation for rehab, delay healing, and affect mental health. But this is a lifestyle factor we can modify to improve healing after surgery.

If your research could solve one big problem, what would it be?

I hope to expand access to health care through technology. If we can deliver effective treatments remotely, we can reach people who don’t have easy access to health care — especially in rural or underserved areas.

What’s the coolest tool you use in the lab?

We use Oura Rings — smart rings worn on the finger — to track sleep, activity, and heart rate. They are accessible and help us collect accurate and valuable data.

Can undergraduate students get involved in your lab?

Absolutely. I encourage students to take an active role — from collecting data to presenting at conferences and even publishing their work. One of my students, Mia Laws, earned a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award to complete an independent study and is now first author on a manuscript. Others are preparing to present at the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine Regional Conference.

What do students gain from working with you?

I hope that my students leave with a strong foundation in ethical, innovative research — from asking the right questions to working directly with patients and collecting meaningful data that can improve care.