APS Publications Podcast

Innovative Techniques for Developing an Inclusive Teaching Environment

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Lourdes Fortepiani (University of the Incarnate Word) and Dr. Susan Marsh (Washington State University) discuss their recently published Personal View. The educational landscape is becoming increasingly diverse, and there is a pressing need to ensure equity and inclusion in the classroom. In this article, we offer innovative techniques addressed during the 2022 Experimental Biology symposium on inclusive teaching and provide six practical recommendations for educators: 1) being intentional about how and what content is taught, 2) not making assumptions about students, 3) not being afraid to introduce students to difficult subjects, 4) designing a pedagogical approach to include all students, 5) being transparent about personal intentions, and 6) adjusting an approach that isn’t working for both teacher and students. To find out more, listen now.

 

Lourdes A. Fortepiani, and Susan A. Marsh Innovative techniques for developing an inclusive teaching environment Advances in Physiology Education, published October 23, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00014.2023

Promoting Outreach Through Physiology Chapter Collaboration

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Steven J. Elmer (Michigan Technological University), Dr. John J. Durocher (Purdue University Northwest), and Dr. Naveen Sharma (Central Michigan University) discuss their Editorial in Advances in Physiology Education. The authors discuss how workforce shortages, misinformation, and lack of trust in science and public health threaten to slow improvements in global health. Accordingly, the promotion of health-focused science outreach is needed more than ever to help cultivate a diverse health workforce and well-informed citizenry. Physiology provides the backbone for the understanding of health, disease, and medicine. Therefore, the physiology community has a critical role to play by enhancing public awareness of science and growing student interest in health-focused careers. This Editorial makes the case for encouraging local and regional physiology outreach and calls upon physiologists and trainees to participate in at least one outreach activity each year. Ready to get engaged? Listen now.

 

Steven J. Elmer, Cassandra R. Gohn, John J. Durocher, Naveen Sharma Promoting outreach through physiology chapter collaboration Advances in Physiology Education, published June 15, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00037.2023

Mapping the Core Concepts of Physiology

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Brianna L. Julien and Dr. Louise Lexis (both at La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia) discuss the Curriculum Development and Assessment article published by Tangalakis et al. in the Advances for Physiology Education Call for Papers on Physiology Core Concepts. This article represents the first time an existing set of core concepts for physiology, developed by Michael and McFarland (U.S.-based educators), have been mapped against unit (subject) learning outcomes across physiology curricula in Australian universities to gauge uptake and the need for agreement on a set of core concepts in the Australian higher education context. Interested in learning more? Listen now.

 

Kathy Tangalakis, Brianna L. Julien, Louise Lexis, Deanne H. Hryciw, Colleen J. Thomas, Maja Husaric, Michelle Towstoless, Philip J. MacKinnon,Yuan Miao, Alan Hayes Mapping the core concepts of physiology across Australian university curricula Advances in Physiology Education, published June 15, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00139.2022

Modified Version of Countercurrent Multiplication

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Serena Kuang (Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine) discusses the recent Illuminations article on how countercurrent multiplication is widely accepted as the mechanism for the generation of the corticopapillary osmotic gradient in the outer medulla of mammalian kidneys, but the current explanations of it in textbooks and the literature are inefficient and incomplete. This leads to confusion for students. This article shares a modified version of countercurrent multiplication with more understandable explanation as a way of motivating peer discussion, further improvement, and future research. To find out more, listen now.

 

Serena Y. Kuang A better explanation of countercurrent multiplication in the formation of the corticopapillary osmotic gradient in the outer medulla  Advances in Physiology Education, published August 10, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00227.2022

Role of the physiologist in the COVID-19 pandemic

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Farheen Fatima (ESIC Medical College, India) discusses the recently published Letter to the Editor by Fatima et al. about the role of physiologists during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as potential future collaborations between physiologists and other medical, engineering, and technology departments for more fruitful results. One example would be gene sequencing, the association with various pathophysiologies, and the determination of risk factors by observing changes in physiological parameters. These can form the basis of prospective or retrospective analytical studies. Listen now to hear more.

 

Farheen Fatima, and Indla Yogananda Reddy Role of the physiologist in the COVID-19 pandemic Advances in Physiology Education, published September 13, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00081.2023

Corporatization of Medical Education

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, we bring you Dr. Stephen DiCarlo (Michigan State University) discussing his Personal View co-authored with Dr. Heidi L. Lujan. According to the authors, physiology educators should be preparing future physicians to deliver the care we want to receive as patients. This requires training in communication, collaboration, inquiry, discovery, and innovation while developing the habits of the mind and heart that advance the practice of medicine and the health of the public. However, the authors argue that the current “corporatization” of medical education is failing to accomplish this outcome when medical schools adopt corporate models, cut costs, and seek profit-making opportunities without improving what goes on in the classroom. The authors would like to see physiology educators reconnect to the greater purpose and value of learning. Find out more by listening now.

 

Heidi L. Lujan, and Stephen E. DiCarlo We used to get money to teach students, now we teach students to get money: medical education has become a market with credentials not knowledge the commodity! Advances in Physiology Education, published June 23, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00065.2023

Omics and Submaximal Work Capacity and Trainability

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, we feature Monalisa Hota of Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore highlighting the recently published research “Omics-driven investigation of the biology underlying intrinsic submaximal working capacity and its trainability.”

 

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Multi-omics and in silico explorations of the genes and underlying biology of submaximal exercise capacity and its response to 20 wk of endurance training were undertaken. Prioritized genes were identified: 13 genes for variation in submaximal exercise capacity in the sedentary state and 5 genes for the response level to endurance training, with no overlap between them. Genes and pathways associated with submaximal exercise capacity in the sedentary state are different from those underlying trainability.

 

Omics-driven investigation of the biology underlying intrinsic submaximal working capacity and its trainability

Monalisa Hota, Jacob L. Barber, Jonathan J. Ruiz-Ramie, Charles S. Schwartz, Do Thuy Uyen Ha Lam, Prashant Rao, Michael Y. Mi, Daniel H. Katz, Jeremy M. Robbins, Clary B. Clish, Robert E. Gerszten, Mark A. Sarzynski, Sujoy Ghosh, and Claude Bouchard

Physiological Genomics 2023 55:11, 517-543

What is the Uterine Secretory Cycle, and why is it important?

In this podcast  Kasey M. Schalich and Vimal Selvaraj (both of Cornell University) discuss the recently published research titled “The uterine secretory cycle: recurring physiology of endometrial outputs that setup the uterine luminal microenvironment.”

 

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study unravels the recurring sequence of changes within the uterus that supports vital functions (sperm transit and development of preimplantation embryonic stages) during the reproductive cycle in female Ruminantia. These data present new systems knowledge in uterine reproductive physiology crucial for setting up in vitro biomimicry and artificial environments for assisted reproduction technologies for a range of mammalian species.

 

Article Citation:

The uterine secretory cycle: recurring physiology of endometrial outputs that setup the uterine luminal microenvironment

Kasey M. Schalich, Prasanthi P. Koganti, Juan M. Castillo, Olivia M. Reiff, Soon Hon Cheong, and Vimal Selvaraj

Physiological Genomics 2024 56:1, 74-97