Mission of the Department

Physiology is the field of biology that studies life processes. The mission of the Department of Integrative Physiology is to study how life processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismic levels are integrated and function. The program of study emphasizes both the role of physical activity in human health and function across the lifespan and the responses of different organisms to various forms of stress. Our multidisciplinary teaching program requires students to take foundational courses in anatomy, biochemistry, mathematics, physics, physiology, and statistics. With this basic knowledge, students can undertake a flexible curriculum that includes the study of biomechanics, cell physiology, comparative physiology, endocrinology, immunology, exercise physiology, and neurophysiology. The Department also encourages student participation in research.