The Physiological Society

The Physiological Society has joined other leading science organisations in the UK, including @sciencecampaign @wellcometrust and the @RussellGroup in writing to the Government ahead of the Budget. Our joint letter highlights the importance of stable, long-term investment in R&D in order to fuel #economicgrowth and boost #productivity. This will enable #researchers and innovators to continue driving the high-skill sectors and cutting-edge #technologies that will help shape the UK’s future. Further, stable public investment will also help leverage the private investment needed to achieve the Government’s ambitions for growth. 🔗 Read about the letter here:

We are delighted to announce that Professor Mike Tipton MBE, FTPS will become The Society’s President-Elect in 2025. Professor Tipton is currently serving The Society as a Trustee and Chair of the Policy Committee. His one year term as President-Elect will begin in December 2025 at the annual Member Forum. This will be followed by a three-year term as President beginning in late 2026. Professor Tipton said: “It is a tremendous honour to be able to serve The Physiological Society as President- Elect, and to promote it, physiology and physiologists. Physiology should be a critical part of the collaboration addressing many global issues from health to climate change.” He continued, “With two new journals on the near-horizon, the upcoming Society’s 150th birthday, and next strategy on the more distant horizon, we are entering an exciting and transformative period for The Society. I look forward to meeting and hearing from many members moving forward, and to supporting Professor Annette Dolphin in her presidency”. Read the news article https://buff.ly/402XHSm #physoc #physiology #health #climatechange

Today being #WorldMentalHealthDay it is important we recognise the impact of extreme heat and #climatechange on mental health. According to the World Health Organisation, climate change is ‘the single biggest health threat facing humanity’. Among its many consequences, the increasing frequency and intensity of #extremeheat events stand out for their effects on #mentalhealth. In February 2024 we held a workshop titled ‘Bringing mechanistic understanding and real-world impact to the link between extreme heat and mental health’ with @WellcomeTrust . The workshop brought together 80 delegates from over 16 countries with specialisms in #physiology, mental health, #publichealth, data science, and weather modelling, as well as representatives of national governments and funders with an interest in this area. Key recommendations from the subsequent report are: 🌏 Address research gaps in the understanding of the physiological mechanisms linking heat to poorer mental health outcomes 🌏Develop research designs from physiology to investigate the mechanisms underpinning the association between heat and mental health problems 🌏 Ensure a concerted focus on mental health problems associated with extreme heat in the Global South, particularly low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) 🌏Improve the use and integration of existing mental health and weather and climate data 🌏Implement simple, affordable, and sustainable cooling interventions and evaluate their impacts on mental health 🌏Promote collaboration in research design through consortia-based funding models 🔗 Read the full report: https://buff.ly/4001oIy 🔗 Read the Editorial Opinion: https://buff.ly/3YdK4yy

Many congratulations to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun on being awarded the 2024 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Responding to the Nobel Prize announcement, President of The Physiological Society, Professor David Attwell, said: “On behalf of The Physiological Society I am delighted to congratulate Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for being jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their work in C. elegans, a small worm, led to their groundbreaking discovery of a new principle of gene regulation. By discovering microRNAs, a new class of tiny RNA molecules, they revealed a new dimension of how gene activity is regulated. MicroRNAs are fundamental for controlling how organisms develop and function, including humans. Defects in microRNA function can lead to #cancer and other diseases. “Physiology helps us to understand how the body works in #health and determine what goes wrong in disease. As such, physiology has been at the forefront of the search for how to prevent and treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or autoimmunity. Understanding how gene activity is regulated helps advance public health research.” Read the news article ⬇️ https://buff.ly/4gWhVn2 #physoc #physiology #award

We’re now accepting nominations for our 2026 Prize Lectures! > What does The Physiological Society recognise? Each year we recognise individuals, teams and collaborations for their scientific excellence and outstanding contributions to physiology. > Who can make a nomination? We welcome nominations from everyone. There is no limit on the number of nominations you can make. You do not need to be a member of The Physiological Society to nominate. We invite you to contribute to this effort by nominating your candidates by 30 November 2024. Find details and make your nominations https://buff.ly/4drPhqU #physoc #physiology #nomination #recognition #award

Helping to solve the impact of rising temperatures on human health... It was a great pleasure for the team from The Physiological Society to meet with Alex Mayer, the newly elected MP for Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard at the UK Labour Conference to share our recommendations on maximum indoor working temperatures and hear more about her interest in this area! Physiology is uniquely placed to help solve the multifaceted problem that is the impact of rising temperatures on human health. Physiology intersects many fields and provides a human-centred approach and a focus on mechanisms. Visit The Physiological Society website to learn more! https://buff.ly/2XFxg2f #physoc #physiology #climatechange #humanhealth

📢 NEW edition of our Physiology Research Roundup now available! Featuring a blog by Professor Damian Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Physiology. Damian celebrates the publication of the journal's first ‘complete’ Registered Report in physiology, and the future leaders of physiology, highlighting the journal's Mid-Career Researcher Prize and Future Leaders Scheme. Plus, read about functional coupling in the heart, how to retain muscle mass during bed rest, and more cutting-edge #physiology research. The Physiology #Research Roundup is our monthly newsletter summarising research published in our family of journals; The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. Click the article to read the September edition of our Physiology Research Roundup 📰 #physoc #physiology

Great to see Wellcome funding research in this important area. While the correlation between heat and some mental health problems is clear, the mechanisms driving these worsened outcomes are under-researched and poorly understood. Similarly, the precise nature of the interaction between biological, psychological and social mechanisms driving mental health problems during periods of high or extreme heat remains unknown. Earlier this year The Physiological Society and Wellcome Trust held a roundtable and published a joint report into heat and mental health. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/efw3cnvh

We had a great The Physiological Society meeting. Thanks to the support from partners such as MyAge Research Network, an active UK based research network. Would recommend checking out their website https://lnkd.in/ej8vA53F, as they (co-)organise fantastic events, seminars, etcetera!

Congratulations to Professor Damian Bailey who has been appointed to the Science Advisory Committee of the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). Damian is Professor of Physiology & Biochemistry and Director of the Neurovascular Lab at USW. The committee plays a crucial role in shaping the future of space science research within Sweden. Professor Bailey said: “SNSA are leading the way in physiology. It is an accolade to be selected, especially as the first British member of the committee. I look forward to working together”. The Physiological Society Experimental Physiology