Department of Physiology IL at Midwestern University

07/17/2024

Loss of the normal gravity force causes physiological changes. How reversible those changes are--greatly confounded by the duration of the low gravity exposure-- is still a notable area of research.

Astronauts are exposed to a unique environment during space travel. A few examples include radiation, isolation, confinement and a lack of gravity. This affects their physiology in many ways, including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning, vision changes and immune dysfunction. Over the...

07/03/2024

A primer on epigenetics

For many years scientists tried to understand how a fertilized egg develops into a multicellular organism with specialized cells. Even though cells in our body share the same set of genes, some cells have “learned” how to perform special functions. Our muscle cells somehow fill themselves with m...

06/06/2024

I like my water neutral, please.

Hydration is a key part of life. It helps us stay cool on hot summer days, helps keep our skin plump and clear and is overall part of a healthy lifestyle. However, choosing the right water now seems to be a puzzle. One “designer” water that has gained a lot of traction lately due to … Continue...

05/31/2024

Sticky skin, maybe--but sunscreen does not interfere with thermoregulation when exercising in the heat

Exercise is essential for our health. And when you’re exercising—or doing anything—outdoors, using sunscreen is important to protect your body from skin-damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Overexposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer. However, many people who are active outdoors think that sunscr...

02/23/2024

Lactate is an easy shortcut. Better to be more inclusive and just call out "metabolic byproducts" as factors involved in the local production of fatigue in active skeletal muscle.

Image of a sprinter by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin / Wikimedia Commons As wisely stated in an editorial by Dr. George Brooks, UC Berkeley (2001), “Nature is smarter, and things are more complex than we m…

12/16/2023

Science has named the development of glucagon-like peptide-1 ( ) agonists and this year's discovery that these drugs can blunt obesity-associated health problems as the 2023 Breakthrough of the Year.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/5c4

12/16/2023

Another reason for concern about plastics in the environment

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles can enter nerve cells, impair breakdown of structures linked to Parkinson’s disease, and harm certain brain regions in mice.

12/06/2023

Maintaing adequate muscular strength and power is important as we age, to assist with metabolic health and independence.

The new study of resistance exercise and the elderly found that even people in their 80s and 90s — who had never lifted weights before — showed significant gains

12/06/2023

We're thrilled that Midwestern University stands among the top five nationwide finalists at the American Medical Association Research Challenge Finals! 🎉🔬 Osteopathic Medicine students Srujith Medharametla (CCOM' 26) and Garrett Borger (CCOM' 26) conducted a research project focusing on the effects of obesity on the genioglossus muscle and other associated muscles of respiration under the direction of Assistant Professor Isabel Martinez-Pena y Valenzuela.

The AMA Research Challenge is a national multi-specialty research conference for medical students, international medical graduates, fellows, and residents to present and showcase their research. Dr. Martinez-Pena y Valenzuela, Srujith, and Garrett will be participating in the finals in February, and we wish them the best of luck!

More at the link: https://ow.ly/F6XF50QfWE4

12/06/2023

Next step, the finals of the AMA Medical Student Research Challenge! Congratulations to all on this fantastic research team!

We're thrilled that Midwestern University stands among the top five nationwide finalists at the American Medical Association Research Challenge Finals! 🎉🔬 Osteopathic Medicine students Srujith Medharametla (CCOM' 26) and Garrett Borger (CCOM' 26) conducted a research project focusing on the effects of obesity on the genioglossus muscle and other associated muscles of respiration under the direction of Assistant Professor Isabel Martinez-Pena y Valenzuela.

The AMA Research Challenge is a national multi-specialty research conference for medical students, international medical graduates, fellows, and residents to present and showcase their research. Dr. Martinez-Pena y Valenzuela, Srujith, and Garrett will be participating in the finals in February, and we wish them the best of luck!

More at the link: https://ow.ly/F6XF50QfWE4

09/22/2023

Nausea, whether from motion sickness, hormones, stress or even a questionable meal, is a feeling many of us are familiar with. From attempting to read in a moving car to indulging in a bit too much ice cream, this pesky symptom has the uncanny ability to transform an otherwise enjoyable day into a d...