Human physiology seminar series returns for winter term

This winter the UO Department of Human Physiology is continuing a seminar series that has become a popular end-of-the-week-tradition.

The free series features experts sharing their research with interested graduate students, professors and members of the public. Past lectures have covered everything from Parkinson’s disease to pre-eclampsia.

The seminar series is open to everyone, including professors and students from other departments. Presentations take place Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in Room 229, McKenzie Hall. A full schedule of upcoming seminars can be found on the human physiology department website.

The series kicked off winter term Jan. 13 with a talk by Espen Spangenburg, a professor from East Carolina University who specializes in skeletal muscle biology. At the next talk, on Feb. 3, Oregon State University assistant professor Sean Newsom will discuss metabolism research.

“We really aim for our seminars to be accessible to everyone,” said Adrianne Huxtable, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Physiology and an organizer of the events.

Huxtable and co-organizer Sierra Dawson say the human physiology department has grown in recent years, which in turn has increased the diversity of the research conducted on campus. The variety of research topics attracts a broad segment of the campus and local community.

Everything from neuroscience to physical rehabilitation is wrapped into human physiology, and speakers drill down into exercise science, biomechanics and other human physiology-related topics. Organizers try to maintain an open environment and encourage anyone interested in human physiology research to attend.

Many seminars have catchy titles like “Obesity … Osteoarthritis … The Solar System … It’s all Connected,” and speakers are coached to avoid jargon and acronyms they might use when talking to a fellow researcher.

This year’s series includes presentations by UO graduate students focusing on the research taking place in labs on campus. Organizers say the addition of student presenters increases the mix of topics and improves the experience for graduate students.

Evaluations completed by faculty and students attending the seminars reinforce learning and provide constructive criticism on content and presentation. Receiving feedback helps student speakers improve their presentation techniques.

During their visits, guest speakers also incorporate professional development for both faculty and students. The interaction provides networking opportunities for students; Dawson points to one former student who found a postdoc position at Harvard Children’s Hospital after connecting with a seminar speaker.

—By Stephanie Nappa, Office for Research and Innovation