Physiology

The Science of Life

[Add Your Institution Logo and Name Here]

©2005 The American Physiological Society.

Permission granted for workshop use.
What is Physiology?
 Physiology is the study of
life processes
 How living systems work at

many levels:
 Molecular level
 Organ and systems levels
 Whole organism level
 How living systems respond

to physical activity
 How living systems respond

to environmental conditions
 How the genome translates
into function at different
 Why is Physiology
Important?

Physiology expands our

Understanding of…
What “life” is
How life processes work and are

regulated
Diseases and how to treat them
How living organisms cope with or
adapt to different environments
What Do
Physiologists Study?

Plants
Vertebrates, such as:
 Humans and other mammals
 Birds
 Reptiles
 Amphibians
 Fish
Invertebrates, such as:
 Insects
 Worms
 Mollusks
What Do
Physiologists Study?

Physiologists follow the

ABC rules for use of
living organisms:
Appropriate
Beneficial
Caring
What Kinds of Questions
Do Physiologists Ask?
Example:
How do mutations in genes affect
cellular, organ and bodily function in
health and disease?

Tools, Techniques and Models:

– Use molecular biology techniques
to study DNA, RNA, and cell
proteins in cells in culture

– Measure organ function in rat and

mouse strains with single gene
mutations or gene “knock-outs”
What Kinds of Questions
Do Physiologists Ask?
Example: Can exercise
decrease the loss of calcium
from the bones that occurs
when a person is exposed to
microgravity (space)?

Tools, Techniques and

Models:
Use a specialized X-ray
machine to measure bone
density before and after
space flight in those who did
and did not exercise on a
treadmill while in
microgravity.
 What Kinds of Questions
Do Physiologists Ask?

Example: Why do some

persons with diabetes
have depressed heart
pump function?

Tools, Techniques and Models:

Use heart cells isolated from normal
rats
and rats with diabetes
Use electrophysiological, biochemical,
pharmacological, and molecular biology

techniques to study why diabetic heart

cells work differently than normal heart
cells
What Kinds of Questions
Do Physiologists Ask?

Example: [Insert your research question here]

Tools, Techniques and Models:

[Insert the techniques and models you use here]
Meet a Physiologist

[Add your picture]

[Add a few points on how you got interested

and what your work is]
Meet a Physiologist:
Evangeline Motley

Evangeline Motley, Ph.D.

Meharry Medical College
Nashville, Tennessee

Making a tough decision: Medicine or research?

Developing new medicines
Researching cardiovascular functions and
hypertension
Teaching future physiologists and physicians
 Meet Physiologists:
Michael Romero and Caroline Sussman
Michael Romero, Ph.D. and
Caroline Sussman, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve
University
Cleveland, Ohio

Becoming interested in
“how living things work”
Research on the kidney and
the brain
Successfully balancing
careers and family
 Meet a Physiologist:
Magdalena Alonso-Galicia
Magdalena Alonso-Galicia, Ph.D.
Merck Research Laboratories
West Point, Pennsylvania

Wanting to help make people healthy

Research labs win over hospital labs
Opportunities in industry
Cardiovascular research
Discovering new drugs to prevent or
cure disease
Meet a Physiologist:
Thomas Herzig
Lieutenant Thomas Herzig, Ph.D.
Naval Submarine Medical
Research Laboratory
Groton, Connecticut

Taking an interest in
exercise
Choosing a military career
Researching exercise in
extreme environments
Teaching future doctors
What Do Physiologists
Do Every Day?

– Investigate questions in
physiology that most interest
them
– Decide what work they are
going to do each day
– Often work longer hours, but
typically can be very flexible
What Do Physiologists
Do Every Day?

Many different tasks…never boring!

Teaching
Formulating new hypotheses to investigate
Designing and performing experiments
and gathering data
Troubleshooting laboratory methods and learning
new techniques
Analyzing data and drawing conclusions
Writing papers and grants
Training a new generation of scientists
Presenting at national and international meetings
Collaborating with other scientists nationally
and internationally
Where Do Physiologists
Work?

Universities and colleges

Medical and dental schools
Drug and biotech companies
Government and military labs
Would You Like to Be a
Physiologist?

Which Degree?
Bachelor’s?
Master’s?
Doctoral?
 College Education With a
Major in a Life Science
Degree Possible Jobs
Bachelor of Arts (BA) Lab Technician (University)
Bachelor of Science (BS) Assistant Scientist (Industry)
(4 yrs)
(with experience)
Masters (MS) Lab Manager (University)
in Physiology Associate Scientist (Industry)
(2 yr)

Assistant Professor (University)

Doctorate (PhD) in Physiology
Scientist (Industry)
(4-5 yr) (2-3 yr)

Postdoctoral Training
(2-3 yr)
 Salary Expectations

• Bachelors degree
– University - $30,000
– Industry - $50,000
• Masters degree
– University - $35,000
– Industry - $56,000
• Stipends
– Graduate student - $20,772 (set by NIH)
– Postdocs - $35,568-51,036 (depending on years of
experience)
• Salaries
– Assistant Professor at Medical School - $71,000
– Industry Senior Scientist (with postdoc exp.) - $78,000
 Typical Salaries for BS/MS
Scientists
60,000 56,000 Academic
50,000
50,000
Pharmaceutical Co
40,000 35,000
30,000
$ 30,000

20,000

10,000

0
Lab Technician (BS) Lab GManager (MS) 21
 Stipends for Pre- &
Postdoctoral Trainees
45,000 43,428
40,000 35,568
35,000
30,000
25,000 20,772
$
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Graduate Student Postdoc Yr 0 Postdoc Yr 3
NIH Stipends
G FY2003 22
 Ph.D. Physiologist Salaries
in Academia and Industry

78,000
78,000

76,000

74,000 Pharmaceutical Industry

(entry level)
$ 72,000 71,000

70,000 Medical School

(average)
68,000

66,000
Assistant Professor Senior Scientist
 Average Faculty Salaries
in Physiology Departments
120,000 119762

100,000
86567
80,000 71400
$ 60,000
46549
40,000
20,000
0
Instructor Assistant Associate Full
Professor
Academic Rank
ACDP 2003 Survey Results G 24
 Physiology Training Opens
Doors to Many Careers!
Law and Business Because scientific training
Legal Management
Writing emphasizes:
– Creativity and analytical thinking skills
needed to solve problems
– Facility with mathematical concepts and
Physiology their applications (e.g., data analysis and
statistics) that can be applied in many
different fields
– Well-developed skills in oral and written
Scientific &
Science
Medical
Policy
communication of ideas and data; and
Writing
– In-depth understanding of the biological,
chemical and physical principles that
underlie life processes
 Physiology Training Opens
Doors to Many Careers!
Law and
Legal
Business
Management
It opens the doors to other
Writing
fields, such as:
Law and legal writing
Business management and
Physiology administration
Policy, especially science policy
Scientific and medical writing
Scientific &
Science
Medical
Policy
Writing
 Physiology…
A Good Choice for Me?
Physiology is an Excellent
Career Choice
– Want to…
 understand how living processes
and systems work
 help others live longer and better
lives through biomedical
research
– Are creative
– Are self-motivated and
an independent worker
– Like to work with others
on a shared problem
– Enjoy writing and
communicating
with others
Preparing for a Career in
Physiology
– Take relevant science courses to
be ready for graduate coursework
– Practice your writing and
speaking skills
– Get
research experience in a lab
(APS Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowship)
– Talk to scientists in fields that you
find interesting
– Try
to attend a local scientific
meeting if possible
 Learn More
About Physiology
The American
Physiological Society
Careers Website
www.the-aps.org

Click on “Careers”
 The American
Physiological Society

Association of physiologists
Started in 1887
Research journals
Education programs and materials
Awards
Meetings