Conference attendees listen to a scientific session at the 2025 American Physiology Summit. Originally developed to treat diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists have recently dominated media coverage due to their potent effects on weight loss. Preliminary research has also suggested that these drugs may also have a protective role in other body systems and improve … Continue reading GLP-1 Agonists: More Than Just Weight Loss
Scientific Research
From Tomatoes to Treadmills: What Scientists Are Discovering About Everyday Health
American Physiology Summit attendees view scientific posters. Credit: Erica Roth From record-breaking running speeds set by a 91-year-old to how your body responds to climate shifts, the American Physiology Summit brought together researchers exploring the science of health and life itself. Here’s how their findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Physiological Society could … Continue reading From Tomatoes to Treadmills: What Scientists Are Discovering About Everyday Health
A Billion Dollar Gamble: How Drugs are Developed
Credit: iStock Pharmaceutical drugs undoubtedly save lives. Penicillin, given to a patient for the first time in 1941, was the first antibiotic developed and has saved millions of lives. It's no easy task, bringing a drug to market. It can take over a decade and more than a billion dollars. If an individual person wanted … Continue reading A Billion Dollar Gamble: How Drugs are Developed
Artificial Intelligence and Physiology: The Future is Now
Credit: iStock/Pongsak Sakapdee Can you imagine (or remember) a world without cell phones and the internet? In a few years it may be tough to imagine a world without artificial intelligence (AI). AI is the re-creation of human intelligence in machines, complete with the ability to learn, reason and solve problems. AI can be quite … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence and Physiology: The Future is Now
Can’t Sleep? Turn On Some Tunes!
Credit: iStock/Motortion You have probably struggled with falling asleep at some point in your life. When you don’t sleep well, you may feel less happy or experience reduced cognitive speed, otherwise known as “brain fog.” Chronic sleep deficiency increases the risk for depression, high blood pressure and the development of various diseases. Having trouble falling … Continue reading Can’t Sleep? Turn On Some Tunes!
Going with the Flow: How I Learned to Embrace a New Scientific Technique
Credit: iStock/Hris As a doctoral student studying metabolism and behaviors associated with feeding, my research goal is to determine how peripheral metabolic hormones such as insulin and leptin affect groups of nerve cells (scientists call them “neuron populations”) inside the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. We typically assess neurons by cutting thin … Continue reading Going with the Flow: How I Learned to Embrace a New Scientific Technique
GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss: From Science Fiction to Reality
Credit: iStock/zimmytws Obesity affects more than one billion people around the world. Historically, the genetic ability to store body fat is an evolutionary conserved adaptation to stave off starvation. The combination of the superb ability to store body fat, a high rate of sedentary lifestyle and an abundance of ultra-processed foods—a food landscape our great-grandparents … Continue reading GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss: From Science Fiction to Reality
The Vascular Clock: Understanding Female Vascular Aging
Credit: iStock/FatCamera Many of us fear wrinkles, gray hair and other signs of aging. But not as many people seem to worry about aging associated with our vascular system, the network of vessels that circulate blood throughout our body. Years of blood flowing to and from the heart can lead to some consequential changes that … Continue reading The Vascular Clock: Understanding Female Vascular Aging
Keeping Older Adults Hydrated in the Heat
Credit: iStock/Yau Ming Low Most of us know it’s important to drink more when it’s hot outside, especially when we’ve been physically active. Without replacing the fluids we lose through sweating, we can start to show signs of heat-related illness, such as lightheadedness and muscle cramping. Dehydration also strains the heart and kidneys. This advice … Continue reading Keeping Older Adults Hydrated in the Heat
How to Turn Your Fitness Resolution into a Lasting Habit
Credit: iStock/Fokusiert If getting more exercise is on your New Year’s resolution list, you’re not alone. While becoming more active is one of the most common resolutions, only about 25% of adults meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. How can you beat the odds and make sure your resolution becomes more than just a … Continue reading How to Turn Your Fitness Resolution into a Lasting Habit