TY - JOUR
AU - Gary C. Sieck, Yasser El-Wazir, Nelson Escobales, Kiyoshi Kurata, Benedito Machada
AB - Physiology is the study of how living organisms function in, and adapt to, their environment. We as physiologists are interested not only in describing a particular cellular process but also in understanding its relevance to more complex regulatory processes that are vital to the organism. The uniqueness of physiology lies in its systematic approach to exploring the mechanisms of life, asking how and why plants and animals function the way they do. Physiology is grounded on problem-solving and critical analysis, two skills that provide its graduates with a competitive advantage over those in many other fields. The impact of physiology to our societies is significant, ranging from the generation of knowledge and the advancement of science to the solutions of problems that affect our quality of life. Therefore, the value of physiology to our societies extends far beyond its contributions to organismal function or the biomedical sciences. This month, we celebrate the 37th World Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS), bringing together physiologists from around the world. The following provides a snapshot of physiology in different parts of the world. Physiology in Egypt The science of physiology in Egypt started with the establishment of “Kasr Al Aini,” the first medical school in Egypt and in the whole Middle East, in 1837. Since then, the number of physiology departments increased, with 21 departments now in public universities, 2 in research centers, and another 2 in private medical schools. In addition, there are subspecialties of physiology that associated with other departments in colleges of science, veterinary medicine, and agriculture. The contributions of Egyptian physiologists in international publications date back to 1928 when Prof. Ali Hassan from Kasr Al Aini medical school published “Glucose in normal urine” in the Biochemistry Journal . Now there are ∼12,000 records of physiology publications from Egypt in PubMed, as well as an estimated similar number in local journals. The number of publications from Egyptian physiologists in international journals showed a significant increase during the last few years, with ∼8% of the total number of publications appearing in the year 2012. The reasons for this incremental trend are the governmental body of Science & Technology Development Fund (STDF) established in 2007, which offers various types of grants for supporting research and training of researchers. In addition, new bylaws for staff promotion were introduced that require publishing in international journals and give higher credits to the top ranked journals. The Egyptian Society of Physiological Sciences (ESPS) was established in the 1980s to advance teaching and research in physiology in Egypt. In 2011, it became an active member of the African Association of Physiological Sciences (AAPS) and consequently the IUPS. It hosted, in collaboration with the department of physiology at the Suez Canal University, the 6th international congress of the AAPS in Ismailia. The ESPS started to implement plans for improving the training and collaboration among Egyptian physiologists and also with the continental and international related societies. Physiology in Puerto Rico In the early 1950s, training in the physiological sciences was made possible for the first time in Puerto Rico with the creation of the Department of Physiology at the University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine. The department initially focused on teaching medical students. However, an interest in physiological research was sparked by creation of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences in 1960. The department has awarded 66 graduate degrees (MS and PhD) since 1964, representing a range of subject areas within physiology. Most graduates (>60%) have been working in academia, with several occupying key positions in the University of Puerto Rico system. Departmental graduates have also pursued degrees in medicine or dental medicine, whereas others work in industry, government, or the private sector. The year 2009 marked a leap forward for physiology on the island with the creation of the Puerto Rico Physiological Society (PRPS), an official chapter of the American Physiological Society. The mission of the PRPS is to advance knowledge and research in the physiological sciences, and to facilitate networking among physiologists and students. Moreover, the PRPS promotes exposure of elementary (primary) and high school students to science in general and physiology in particular. To this end, the PRPS has initiated outreach activities, in which students throughout the island learn basic principles of body function and come in contact with physiologists and their research. Through these activities and experiences, the students learn the meaning of physiology and become aware of its relevance to such areas as medicine, athletic training, biomechanics, veterinary care, and exploration of the oceans and space. Since 2010, 400 students and their teachers have benefited from these educational activities, which have received news media coverage on the island. We are certain that these PRPS activities will strengthen the educational mission of our department, contribute to the further development of the physiological sciences in Puerto Rico, and foster student interest in science during the early stages of their education. Physiology in Japan Physiology faces both negative and positive long-term impacts within the Japanese society. In Japan, physiology of the human body is mainly studied in medical school as one of the essential courses. Despite of the importance of physiology, especially in medicine, Japanese physiologists are confronting two serious nationwide difficulties: 1 ) recruiting young scientists to the discipline and 2 ) maintaining the number of professional slots in its universities. In the last 10 years, more and more medical students have no desire to become researchers, whereas universities are obliged to decrease the number of professional positions due to budget reductions from the Japanese government. At the same time, the government decided to increase the number of medical students in each school to supply more doctors to Japanese society. Consequently, each staff member has to do more and more duties in education, research, and administration, and it has become very difficult to maintain the quality and high standards of its educational and scientific mission. These are the negative impacts of Japanese societal pressure on physiology. Despite the circumstances around them, Japanese physiologists expect and hope that a new era of physiology is coming. Physiology has long been regarded as a scientific field focusing on “normal” function at cellular and system levels. However, “normal” vs. “abnormal” states are not dichotomous, and we all recognize that there is continuity between the two conditions. Knowledge of physiological status is essential to understand the continuity between normal to abnormal conditions. Physiologists provide valuable knowledge on how cells are working systematically in response to changes in internal as well as external environments. We, physiologists, are supposed to elucidate how cells in our organ, e.g., brain, interact with each other in our organized system. If knowledge on physiological status is extended to elucidate abnormal status, then the knowledge will be very useful for treatments and protection from diseases. For example, functional connections between the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in our brain have been precisely described and understood since the early 1980s. Then, a number of remarkable treatments for neurological diseases were developed, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) and implantation of dopamine neurons derived from iPS cells, a treatment that was proved practical in nonhuman primates. In such a way, we will continuously play a pivotal role in the linkage between scientific achievements and their practical applications, and will contribute not only to Japanese society but also to the world. Physiology in Brazil The value of physiology among the biomedical sciences in Brazil is increasing, and the prospects are excellent for the growing number of physiologists acting in basic as well in translational research. The reasons for this optimistic view in relation to the future of physiology in Brazil are the following. 1 ) Due to a tradition in research in physiology, there is a good number of strong graduate programs in physiology in different universities. 2 ) There is substantial support for graduate programs in physiology in Brazil by the federal government. 3 ) The number of undergraduate students involved with research programs in physiology is high. 4 ) The number of research institutions in the public university system is also increasing. And 5 ) the financial support for research is improving. In addition to this important background and infrastructure for the full development of physiology, the momentum is very positive for the future of physiology in Brazil due to several recent initiatives by the Brazilian Society of Physiology (SBFis). This Society is probably the only scientific society in the world to host a graduated program in physiology with accreditation and financial support by the federal government, which is a network involving six traditional and nine new Brazilians universities with enrolment of more than 120 PhD students. This SBFis graduate program is amplifying the number of new trainees in physiology and improving the quality of the scientific production in several universities all over Brazil. At this time, the Brazilian community of physiologists is also enthusiastic about the future, because over the next few years SBFis will host very important international meetings such as the 1st PanAmericam Congress of Physiological Sciences in August, 2014 (“Physiology Without Borders”), in Iguassu Falls, and the 38th World Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences in August, 2017 (“Rhythms of Life”), in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, all these activities in development by SBFis are bringing much more attention to physiology, so more young people should be attracted to the undergraduate and graduate programs of physiology in the dynamic Brazilian university system. The theme of the 38th World Congress of Physiology in Brazil in 2017 is exactly in this positive context, because it combines the fundamental physiological process based on rhythms and cycles with the Brazilian culture and Brazilians' life style in which the music, sports, and rich natural environment make a perfect scenario for The Rhythms of Life and the full development of physiology in Brazil over the next several decades. ©2013 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc. 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Sieck , Yasser El-Wazir , Nelson Escobales , Kiyoshi Kurata , Benedito Machada Physiology Jul 2013, 28 (4) 210-211; DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00028.2013 Citation Manager Formats BibTeX EndNote (tagged) EndNote 8 (xml) RefWorks Tagged RIS Medlars Bookends Mendeley Request Permissions Share Physiology: A World Perspective Gary C. Sieck , Yasser El-Wazir , Nelson Escobales , Kiyoshi Kurata , Benedito Machada Physiology Jul 2013, 28 (4) 210-211; DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00028.2013 Permalink: Copy View Full Page PDF Tweet Widget Facebook Like Google Plus One Reddit CiteULike Mendeley StumbleUpon More in this TOC Section Challenges of Teaching and Researching Physiology in Sub-Saharan Africa Birmingham 2013 and Beyond Physiology 's Impact: Stop Ignoring the Obvious–SEX MATTERS! 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TI - Physiology: A World Perspective
JF - Physiology
DO - 10.1152/physiol.00028.2013
DA - 2013-07-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/the-american-physiological-society/physiology-a-world-perspective-hLb5A0DbLc
SP - 210
VL - 28
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -