The Department of Physiology of the UPR -School of Medicine: History and Contribution to the Physiological Sciences in Puerto Rico 1950-2010

Abstract

In 1949, the creation of the University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine required the recruitment of a group of faculty with expertise in the physiological sciences. The assembled group established the foundation for the Department of Physiology in the fall of 1950. Since then, the Department has made important contributions to the School of Medicine, the Medical Sciences Campus, and the University of Puerto Rico. These contributions include among others, participation in the educational programs in medicine, dentistry, and the biomedical sciences, the generation of knowledge in science through research in different components of the physiological sciences, and the development of researchers and academicians, many of whom have eventually occupied key positions in the UPR system and the private sector. Through the involvement of key faculty in the development of the MBRS-SCORE and RCMI Programs, the Department has made significant contributions to the infrastructure of the Medical Sciences Campus. Recently, the Department faculty was instrumental in the formation of the Puerto Rico Physiological Society to help promote education and research in the physiological sciences in Puerto Rico. Sixty years after its creation, the Department of Physiology is stronger than ever, and looks to the future with optimism, based on our learned experiences and our capacity to adapt in response to the evolving needs of research and education.