Credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio From the quick sting of a paper cut to living with arthritis every day, pain is a part of everyone’s life. And in fact, roughly 25% of people in the U.S. live with chronic pain. How does your body know when to feel this sensation? Let’s take the paper cut as an example. … Continue reading The Science of Pain: From Nerves to Brain
Scientific Research
Why Can’t You Tickle Yourself? The Science Behind Ticklishness
Credit: iStock/fizkes If you’re ticklish, you may wonder why you start laughing or squirming when other people tickle you but not when you try to tickle yourself. This question fascinated Socrates and Charles Darwin and continues to intrigue modern day neuroscientists who research the mysteries of touch. Scientifically speaking, there are two types of … Continue reading Why Can’t You Tickle Yourself? The Science Behind Ticklishness
Finding My Voice in Science Through Physiology
Diani Nanayakkara presents her poster “Brainstem Astrocytic Remodeling in Diet-Induced Obesity: Implications for Sympathetic Excitation,” at the 2026 American Physiology Summit. Credit: D. Nanayakkara When I joined the Comparative Biomedical Sciences PhD program at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University in fall 2023, I came to graduate school with curiosity and creativity, … Continue reading Finding My Voice in Science Through Physiology
Rainbow mRNAs Help Researchers Discover the Hidden World of Cells
Credit: iStock/Evgenii141 Six years after the revolutionary development of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, 4D cellular physiologist Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, PhD, FAAAS, and her research team took synthetic mRNA technology to the next level. In her recent keynote talk at the 2026 American Physiological Summit in Minneapolis, Lippincott-Schwartz’s group—led by Heejun Choi, PhD—at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s … Continue reading Rainbow mRNAs Help Researchers Discover the Hidden World of Cells
The 2026 American Physiology Summit in Minneapolis: You Betcha!
Yoko Wang, PhD, presents her poster at the 2026 American Physiology Summit. All photos in this post courtesy of Wang. Spring is always the season I am waiting for. Not only for the sunshine and blooms, but also for the annual American Physiology Summit! This year’s Summit took place in Minneapolis, the largest city in … Continue reading The 2026 American Physiology Summit in Minneapolis: You Betcha!
Scenes from the 2026 American Physiology Summit: My Week in Photos
Viet Dinh, PhD, presents his poster at the 2026 American Physiology Summit. All photos in this post courtesy of Dinh. The 2026 American Physiology Summit took place in Minneapolis April 23−27, where thousands of physiology researchers, educators and students from around the world convened. I’ve had the pleasure of attending the Summit, the annual meeting … Continue reading Scenes from the 2026 American Physiology Summit: My Week in Photos
Travel, Sleep Loss and Performance in College Women’s Soccer
Credit: Anthony Militello/Seattle University Athletics Between classes, practices and cross-country flights, college athletes often live life on a tight schedule. Caroline Penner, an undergraduate researcher at Seattle University, presented her research at the 2026 American Physiology Summit. Her research tracked how in-season travel affected the sleep patterns and game performance of Division I women’s soccer … Continue reading Travel, Sleep Loss and Performance in College Women’s Soccer
Why Sleep During Pregnancy is a Health Issue, Not a Luxury
Credit: iStock/AsiaVision Many people assume poor sleep during pregnancy and the weeks after giving birth is simply part of the experience. The physical changes of pregnancy—and the demands of caring for a newborn—can make rest feel out of reach. But research shows sleep does far more than fight fatigue. It plays a direct role in … Continue reading Why Sleep During Pregnancy is a Health Issue, Not a Luxury
Laughing as Medicine: Why a Giggle a Day Might Be Good for You
Credit: iStock/FG Trade Latin We’ve all heard the saying “Laughter is the best medicine,” but what does science say? It turns out that laughing isn’t just pleasant, it can be genuinely beneficial for your mind and body throughout your life. Let’s start with stress. Chronic stress is everywhere in modern life, contributing to anxiety, fatigue … Continue reading Laughing as Medicine: Why a Giggle a Day Might Be Good for You
Seeing Parenthood Through a Physiology Lens
Credit: iStock/PIKSEL Becoming a parent changes how you see everything, including science. As a physiology PhD trainee and former Navy hospital corpsman who practiced medicine in a mid-level role, I’ve spent years learning how the body works under pressure. I didn’t expect my most meaningful physiology lesson to happen in a delivery room. My son … Continue reading Seeing Parenthood Through a Physiology Lens