The Department of Physiological Sciences provides instruction in the basic principles and concepts of biochemistry, pharmacology, and physiology to medical students matriculating years one and two of the EVMS curriculum.

• didactic lectures
• clinical correlation conferences
• problem-based small-group sessions
• student and demonstration laboratories
• computer-assisted laboratories
• individual conferences

Students are encouraged to apply critical thinking and develop problem-solving skills. Faculty also provide a number of elective offerings to third- and fourth-year medical students in renal, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, neural and skeleto-muscular systems.

The faculty train M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students in the biomedical sciences programs through teaching graduate courses and mentoring research programs.

The department also offers medical students the opportunity to perform basic research projects during the summer. Faculty are involved in research programs funded by various external sources, including the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association, as well as various private corporations. Both in vivo and in vitro technologies are utilized in these research programs, which continue to provide new information regarding the mechanisms underlying the ontogenesis, detection and treatment of various diseases. Collaborative efforts of faculty with clinical colleagues have enhanced the opportunities for translation of this basic/applied research to the human.