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A welcome message from the Chair

michael cahalan

Welcome to the Department of Physiology & Biophysics.

Our faculty participate in a wide range of research activities.

At one end of the spectrum are large, medically relevant questions, such as the mechanisms that induce the immune response in humans, and the molecular bases of diseases.

At the other end of the spectrum are the physical descriptions of simple chemical processes and structures that mimic the behavior of cells or components of cells or components of cells, such as artificial membranes and synthetically produced small fragments of proteins.

The largest part of departmental research falls between the entire medical and entirely molecular. Its objective is to understand how proteins function in catalyzing metabolically important reactions in cells, how signals (such as those carried by hormones) are transmitted from one cell to another, and how specialized cells (such as muscle fibers) perform their intended functions.

Use this website to learn more about our department. If you have questions, contact us anytime.

Michael D. Cahalan, Chair

Department of Physiology & Biophysics