Previously called the Department of Exercise and Movement Science, the Department of Human Physiology is a major contributor to the training of life-sciences undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Oregon who desire careers in academic research, medicine and allied health.

At the undergraduate level, future researchers/teachers, physicians, physical therapists and other health care providers receive comprehensive, multidisciplinary training in the physical, biological, and chemical sciences that prepares them well for entrance into most professional health care-related programs.

In addition to requiring completion of the core science courses, students are challenged to question critically, think logically, and communicate clearly. Human Physiology students also examine the health sciences from a perspective that explores the functional and structural mechanisms underlying human movement across the life span, ranging from simple motor skills to the more complex environment of whole-body exercise. In short, the ever-expanding role of "exercise as medicine" is a critical component of the curriculum, making the department home to a great many students who desire to integrate the study of human movement, physical activity, and even sports with excellent training in the pre-health sciences.

The mission of the graduate program is to develop researchers and health professionals who are creative thinkers and innovators capable of generating new knowledge in the physiological and anatomical sciences. To this end, the department has a number of outstanding, funded laboratories that use physiological and engineering methods to evaluate human subjects under a broad spectrum of experimental conditions. The Department's faculty members recognize that integration of basic and applied research is vital to a fundamental understanding of how powerful human movement and physical activity are in influencing disease treatment and prevention. Consequently, in the performance of their research, they routinely work closely with physicians and other clinical personnel.

For more information, visit the department's web site.