Graduate Courses and Electives

• PHSL–F 503 Human Physiology (4 cr.) P: Introductory biology, organic chemistry, and physics. Graduate-level course in human physiology designed for students with no prior exposure to the discipline. Emphasis on basic physiological mechanisms of control with regard to membrane, neural, endocrine, reproductive, muscle, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and multisystems physiology. Peavy and Staff

• PHSL–F 595 Advanced Physiology (1–15 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Special techniques in advanced areas of physiology.

• PHSL–F 701 Research in Physiology (1–15 cr.) Original laboratory research required for fulfillment of M.S. or Doctoral degrees.

• PHSL–F 702 Seminar in Physiology (1 cr.) Seminars delivered by invited international, national, and local speakers. Interactive, with question-and-answer period.

• PHSL–F 780 Special Topics in Physiology (1–15 cr.) Tutorial instruction in physiology. Staff

• GRAD–G 735 Cardiovascular, Renal, and Respiratory Function in Health and Disease (3 cr.) The course will advance fundamental elements of cardiovascular function including basic hemodynamics cardiac function, respiratory function, ventilator mechanics, gas exchange, and kidney function, including control of excretion and regulation of body fluid dynamics. An emphasis will be placed on integrative function of different organ systems. Herring and Elmendorf

• GRAD–G 736 Endocrine and Gastrointestinal Function in Health Disease (3 cr.) The course emphasizes the use of modern experimental techniques to study mechanisms underlying the physiological function of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system. Lectures highlight the molecular and cellular basis for diseases of the gastrointestinal and endocrine systems and how they affect whole animal function. Basile and Tune

• PHSL–F 499 Independent Research in Medical Physiology and Biophysics (1–4 cr.) Research for undergraduate students. Introduction to research methods and scientific investigation in cellular and medical physiology or biophysics. Research areas include neurobiology, neurophysics, cellular, respiratory, muscle, vascular, or renal physiology and endocrinology. Staff

• PHSL–F 513 Mammalian Physiology Lecture (5 cr.) Physiology course for medical students covering neurophysiology, physiology of muscular activity, respiration, circulation, gastrointestinal physiology, excretion, metabolism, and endocrinology. Emphasis on basic physiological mechanisms and control systems but clinical application stressed. Tanner and Staff

• MED–X 604 Concepts of Health and Disease (4 cr.) A multidepartmental, interdisciplinary course, which integrates concepts of the first year medical curriculum using a problem-based learning approach. Students work in small groups facilitated by faculty to interpret clinical cases and integrate basic science and clinical science concepts. Designed to assess the proficiency at Level I for portions of the competencies. Staff

• GRAD–X 804 Cellular and Molecular Biology (3 cr.) Cellular and molecular biology for medical students that emphasizes the structural organization, biochemistry, and molecular biology of cells. Includes cellular processes, development, and differentiation and their relationship to medicine. Wek and Staff

• GRAD–G 804 Cellular and Molecular Biology (3 cr.)

  Cellular and molecular biology for medical students that emphasizes the structural organization, biochemistry, and molecular biology of cells. Includes cellular processes, development, and differentiation and their relationship to medicine. Wek and Staff

Focused Elective Courses

Elective courses taken by graduate students in all of the basic sciences who wish to enhance their knowledge of a specific area of physiology (F710 or basic cell biology course recommended; F711 or graduate-level physiology course required). Each course is composed of a two- to three-hour discussion each week for four to five weeks. These sessions are informal discussions of review and original research papers covering new technology and progress in each focus area. Demonstration of new laboratory technology relevant to the focus area is an integral part of some focus courses. Students are expected to prepare for each discussion or demonstration session. These courses are offered year-round; times and dates for courses are to be arranged with the instructor. Interested students should contact the graduate program director.

• PHSL–F 708 Cardiac & Coronary Physiology of Exercise (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. Given the current epidemic and foreseeable continuing trend of obesity and diabetes in the U.S., emphasis will be placed on responses and adaptations of the heart and coronary circulation to exercise in the setting of obesity- and diabetes-induced coronary disease. Concepts of exercise stimulus, quantification of work, and in vivo responses and adaptations will be fundamental to studies of cellular and molecular mechanisms of myocardial and coronary artery responses and adaptations to exercise. The approach taken will be the use of current textbooks, select reviews, original research papers, interactive discussion, and laboratory demonstrations and projects. Sturek 

• PHSL–F 709 In Vivo Microcirculatory Physiology (1 cr.) P: F711 or graduate-level physiology. This course will concentrate on in vivo observation of the microcirculation of the small intestine, a skeletal muscle and the cerebral cortex of rats and mice. Techniques to measure blood flow, vascular diameter, tissue oxygen tension and nitric oxide will be explored. An overall goal is to provide students with an overview of the living microcirculation and a beginning understanding of how to evaluate microvascular performance. The approach will use select reviews, original research papers, interactive discussion, and laboratory demonstrations and projects. Typically there are four hours of class/laboratory per week over a four-week session.  Bohlen

• PHSL–F 712 Designer Mice: Transgenes and Knockout Animals (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. An advanced course emphasizing the strategies for designing genetically modified mouse models. The approach will involve study of the components of vectors, experimental methods to generate these animals, and approaches to studying these animals. This course will use a combination of readings, discussions and problem sets related to generating, breeding, and analyzing transgenic and knockout mice.  Gallagher 

• PHSL–F 713 Angiogenesis (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate level cell physiology. This course addresses the ability of the body to grow new blood vessels, a process named angiogenesis. Focus will be on concepts and mechanisms of angiogenic processes. The course will start with lectures and workshops covering the basic knowledge of angiogenesis. Methods of assessing angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo will be introduced and also part of laboratory demonstration and independent laboratory experiments.  Clauss

• PHSL–F 714 Development of the Vascular System (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate-level cell physiology. This advanced level course is offered to graduate students who have an interest in vascular biology. Concepts of vascular development will be explored with an emphasis on the experimental techniques used to unravel organ development. The course will provide an in-depth knowledge of the physiology, cell, and molecular biology of the development of the vascular system by means of introductory lectures, assigned reviews of current literature, group discussions, and laboratory demonstrations with an emphasis on the experimental techniques used to examine developmental systems. The course will comprise a mixture of didactic lecture, student reading, and presentation of original research and review articles, group discussions, and laboratory demonstrations. The course will comprise four one-hour sessions per week over a four-week session. Herring 

• PHSL–F 715 Physiology of the Coronary Circulation (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. Advanced study of the physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology of the coronary circulation using contemporary methods is emphasized. Concepts of hemodynamics, cardiac regulation, vasomotor control, pressure pulses, etc. are reinforced. In vivo studies using angiography, intravascular ultrasound, coronary flow velocity measures, coronary angioplasty, and echocardiography in large animal models are compared with in vitro methods. An overall goal is to provide a rational basis for functional genomics and modern therapy. Approach will be the use of current textbooks, select reviews, original research papers, interactive discussion, and laboratory demonstrations and projects. Tune 

• PHSL–F 716 Epithelial Cell Biology (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate-level cell physiology. The course is an integrated approach to studying the structure and functional relationships in epithelial cells, the role of this subcellular organization in normal physiology, and the disturbances that underlie pathophysiology. The emphasis is on reading and discussion of original review articles and research papers, and demonstrations of techniques to study epithelial functions in cultured cells, tissues, and model organisms such as the zebrafish. Kempson 

• PHSL–F 720 Physiological Proteomics (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate-level cell physiology. This is a fundamentals-based course on theory and practice of contemporary proteomics techniques. Graduate students will learn to select and apply appropriate proteomic technologies in their research through exposure to protein analytical, quantitative, and informatic approaches to physiologically-relevant biomedical problems. Witzmann

• PHSL–F 726 Physiology of Smooth Muscle (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. Advanced study of the physiology of the smooth muscle tissues with focus on the normal physiology and pathophysiology of airway smooth muscle and the airways. Biochemical and physiologic mechanisms in the regulation of contraction, growth, and phenotypic expression in smooth muscle tissues will be explored. Focus will be on contemporary molecular and cellular and whole animal approaches for the study of muscle physiology, including tissue transfection and the genetic modification of smooth muscle tissues, organ culture, and methods for the measurement of contractility and contractile protein activation in intact and permeabilized tissues including confocal imaging, and in vivo measurement of airway function. Gunst 

• PHSL–F 761 Molecular and Cellular Physiology of Ion Transport (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate-level cell physiology or consent of instructor. Advanced ion transport topics are selected by students from current areas of research on ion channels, pumps, and exchangers.  Specific topics include transporter biophysical characteristics, long-term regulation, effects on cell and organ function, electrophysiological and optical methods for study. Format: textbooks, reviews, original research papers, interactive discussion, computer simulations, and laboratory demonstrations and projects. Obukhov

• PHSL–F 762 Renal Physiology (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. Students will read and discuss several classical or outstanding research papers in renal physiology. Laboratory experiences will include measurement of renal function using clearance methods and demonstrations of micropuncture and in vivo imaging techniques. The course is intended for graduate students who plan to teach or do research in physiology or related disciplines. Basile

• PHSL–F 782 Physiology and Pathophysiology of Lipid Rafts (1 cr.) P: F710 or graduate-level cell physiology. The course is targeted to pre-doctoral graduate students in the School of Medicine with interest in advanced study of lipid rafts, a class of membrane domains that compartmentalize signaling molecules and macromolecule complexes to specific cellular sites, and spatially organize signal transduction in cells. The course will reinforce membrane architecture and explore the molecular basis of lipid raft function and dysfunction in disease. The topics to be discussed include: biophysics of lipid lateral organization, biogenesis and maintenance of lipid domains, signal trans-duction from lipid rafts, and role of lipid rafts in disease. The overall objective is to provide a deep understanding of lipid rafts in membrane organization and cellular function. The course will be comprised of a mixture of didactic lecture, reading and presentation of original research and review articles, group discussion, and laboratory demonstrations. The course will be taught in four one-hour lectures/week. Elmendorf 

• PHSL–F 784 Reactive Oxygen Species in Vasculature (1 cr.) P: F710 and F711 or graduate-level physiology. Roles of reactive oxygen species in signaling normal vascular tissue functions (contraction and growth) and in disease processes such as the inflammation associated with atherosclerosis and the hyperconstriction associated with hypertension will be addressed. Format: presentation and discussion of review articles and original research papers, laboratory demonstrations and projects. Packer