Department of Physiology

Normal Physiology Department was founded in 1930.

Teaching the subject of “Physiology” in Armenia and conducting scientific research in this field began in 1922, when the departments of animal (head of the department G. Musheghyan) and human (head of the department A. Hakobyan) physiology were established at YSU, in the Faculty of Medicine. In those years, the main forces of the mentioned departments were directed to the training of personnel, who were later involved in different institutes and laboratories of the Republic.

In 1930 the Faculty of Medicine of YSU was reorganized as Yerevan State Medical Institute (YSMI), and since then the Department of Normal Physiology has been functioning at the University.

The subject “Physiology” is taught to the students of the General Medicine, Military Medicine, Stomatology, Pharmacy faculties and to the students of College. Students study “Physiology” during 2 semesters, moreover, the students of the General Medicine, Military Medicine faculties– in the 3^rd-4^th semesters, the students of Stomatology faculty – in the 1^st-2^nd semesters, the students of Pharmacy faculty – in the 2^nd-3^rd semesters. The students of College study “Physiology” during 1 semester.

According to the program, the teaching of the thematic material is conducted in the form of lectures, practical classes, students’ self – work. Moreover, the hours, foreseen for lectures and practical classes for General Medicine and Military Medicine faculties, are 68 and 136 correspondingly, for Stomatology faculty – 76 and 136, and for Pharmacy faculty– 16 and 119.

The study and assessment of the “Physiology” are conducted using a module format and a multi-component assessment system. Within each module, the weighting of the assessment components for the students of the General Medicine, Military Medicine and Stomatology Faculties (in 10-point grading system) is as follows: the semester component – 2 points (20%), and exam component – 8 points (80%). For students of the Pharmacy Faculty the weighting of the assessment components in each semester (in 10-point grading system) is as follows: the semester component – 3 points (30%), and the exam component – 7 points (70%).

The semester component is formed by the sum of the scores obtained from the component subjects of the module (a maximum of 2 points (20%) for the students of the General Medicine, Military Medicine and Stomatology Faculties, and a maximum of 3 points (30%) for students of the Pharmacy Faculty). The semester component includes the evaluation of students’ practical skills and ongoing oral assessments conducted throughout the module. The exam component is formed by the score obtained on a computer-based exam consisting of 50 MCQ (a maximum of 8 points (80%) for the students of the General Medicine, Military Medicine and Stomatology Faculties, and a maximum of 7 points (70%) for the students of the Pharmacy Faculty). The exam is organized at the end of each semester. It is conducted in a computer-based testing format for local and Russian-speaking students, and by written-test format for English-speaking students and College students. The final module grade is calculated as the sum of the semester component and the exam component.

The teaching staff of the department fully knows the modern approaches of teaching and teaching in all faculties is conducted in three languages: Armenian, Russian and English.

Postgraduate education in the department is represented by 3-year postgraduate studies.

Since 2019, a student scientific club has been working in the department. The purpose of the Physiology Club is development of students’ skills in working with scientific literature, debating on various physiological issues, presenting reports, which develop their interest in learning process and clinical thinking. Within the framework of the club meetings, students present reports, experts from other departments and clinics are invited and also involved in the discussion of these reports, conferences with the participation of students are organized, visits are made to various scientific research laboratories.

Students are also involved in the implementation of research and experimental works of the department.

Several textbooks and manuals in 3 languages were published by the staff of the department and are used during the physiology teaching:

• “Normal Physiology” edited by D.N. Khudaverdyan, textbook in Armenian (2020, 2022);
• “Fundamentals of Human Physiology” edited by D.N. Khudaverdyan, textbook in Armenian (1998);
• “Short courses in Physiology” in Russian (2006) and in English (2008),
• Laboratory handbooks in Armenian, Russian and English.
• In 2009 and 2010 Professor D. Khudaverdyan, together with famous physiologists of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, wrote 2 textbooks of Normal Physiology in Russian for the dentistry, pediatric and medical faculties of the medical universities of the CIS countries, which were published in 2010-2011.

Over the years, the scientific-research works of the department have been carried out in the following directions:

• “The role of the calcium-regulatory hormonal system in the mechanisms of the functioning of different systems in normal conditions and under the influence of pathological and extremal factors”.
• “Prenatal stress as a trigger for the disruption of various body systems in the postnatal period of ontogenesis.”

In the framework of the mentioned topics, 7 candidate dissertations were defended in the department during the last years, more than 100 scientific articles were published in local and international journals. The scientific works of the department are summarized in 3 monographs, presented during many international conferences.

Since 2011, the employees of the Department of Physiology have been implementing various grants with thematic funding provided by the Science Committee of the RA MESCS.

Currently, the following scientific topics are being studied at the department.

• “The role of immunity alarmins in the development of cardiomyopathy and the mechanism of their action”, which is implemented within the framework of the thematic funding of the RA Science Committee,
• “The role of the calcium-regulatory system in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.”

The Normal Physiology department has been cooperating with the following organizations for years:

• Karolinska Medical Institute (Sweden, Stockholm),
• Washington University (USA, St. Louis),
• Swansea University (United Kingdom, Swansea),
• Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow),
• Institute of Physiology of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences (Kiev),
• Institutes of Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology of National Academy of Sciences of RA.

The department’s stuff have participated many times in the international conferences held in the USA, Europe (Austria, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Slovenia), CIS countries (Russia, Ukraine) and in our republic, as well in the Congresses of physiologists of the CIS countries ( Sochi, Chisinau, Yalta, etc.).