The Department of Physiology embraces values and celebrates the value of diversity to our research, training, and teaching missions.  We are committed to self-education, reflection, and action to eliminate barriers and disparities in academic access, advancement, and promotion of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff in our department and institution.

The Department of Physiology of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center is internationally known for its contributions to research, teaching, and service. Our three-pronged mission is to:

     1. Improve understanding of physiological mechanisms, their regulation, and how their disruption               contributes to disease conditions.
     2. Conduct physiology research and disseminate our findings to the scientific and lay communities
     3. Mentor and promote the future generation of biomedical researchers

The Department of Physiology, in coordination with the School of Graduate Studies:

     1. Offers Ph.D. and M.S. degrees (usually this degree begins in the Interdisciplinary Program)
     2. Participates in the M.D./Ph.D. program

The Department offers several undergraduate, pre-doctoral and postdoctoral funded research opportunities through the: 

     • NIAAA funded Biomedical Alcohol Research Training Program 
     • NIAAA funded Medical Student Summer Research Program 
     • NIGMS funded Postbacccalaureate Research Education Program in Biomedical Sciences
     • NINDS/NEI funded ENDURE: Diversity in Neuroscience

Members of the Department of Physiology at LSUHSC conduct research in the areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and neurophysiology at every level of biologic organization: molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, whole-body and behavioral physiologic integration. A significant portion of research in the department is in the area of alcohol with many research activities conducted through the NIAAA-funded Comprehensive Alcohol Research Center.