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PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
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                          Issue 119 / Summer 2020

Physiology
News

Education Special Issue
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
Contents
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Welcome to the Summer 2020
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          edition of Physiology News

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Introduction                                                             Features
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          5   Editorial                                                            22	Online tools for teaching: From inclusive learning to “the way”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       to teach and assess during the COVID-19 pandemic
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          6	President’s View: Lessons for The Society from COVID-19
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   25 A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       case study of ADInstruments’ online learning platform Lt:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          7   Letters to the Editor
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      New virtual adventure in physiology practicals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   28	Recognition for education and teachers in universities: Has
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       anything changed in the last 6 years?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          News and Views                                                           32 Homeostatic teaching: Unmasking the beauty of physiology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   36	Batman to brain and back again: Using superheroes to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          10	Final year or honours research projects: Time for a total
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       communicate science
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              re-think?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          12	Physiology education manuscripts in demand: Top accessed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              articles in Advances in Physiology Education
                                                                     Log into the portal to update your details now:                                                                                                                                      13	Delivering a high-quality practical education remotely               Membership
                                                                     physoc.org/details                                                                                                                                                                   14	Mapping the landscape for physiology students and graduates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   40 Teaching physiology in lockdown: A steep learning curve
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          15	Reports of The Society’s recent committee meetings
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   42	The new normal for physiology education: Four research papers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          16	Online Learning versus classroom learning: Questioning who               for moving teaching online
TPS12405 - Diversity and inclusivity advert - text update V2REPRO.indd 1                                                                                                                                                            13/08/2019 11:48:49
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              learns what
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   44	Three education research studies to inform teaching during
        Physiology News                                                                                                                                       Scientific Editor                                                                                                                                                        COVID-19: Reflections from our 2018 Otto Hutter Physiology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Teaching Prize winner
                                                                                                                                                              Keith Siew University College London
        We welcome feedback on our membership magazine, or letters and suggestions for
        articles for publication, including book reviews, from our Members.                                                                                   Managing Editor                                                                             Events                                                                   46	Defining virtual, augmented and mixed reality in physiology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       education
        Please email Julia Turan at magazine@physoc.org.                                                                                                      Julia Turan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          18	Future Physiology 2020: Our first virtual conference                 48	Making the most of online learning in lockdown: A student
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  2      Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       3
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
Editorial

HEAR THE LATEST                                                                                                                      RA
                                                                                                                                        N   SPORT

                                                                                                                                 T
RESEARCH ONLINE:

                                                                                                                          MBRANE
                                                                                                                                                                         Lessons for The Society from COVID-19

                                                                                                                        ME
OUR UPCOMING                                                                                                                                                             Nicholas Freestone                              fulfilling she found that transition. Her        Such educational research clearly underpins

                                                                                                                              &
                                                                                                                                     EPITHELI
                                                                                                                                              A                                                                          experiences will strike a chord with many        successful teaching and learning activities.
                                                                                                                                                                         Kingston University, London, UK                 readers (p. 44).                                 You might be surprised to learn that7 of the
                                                                                                               NG
                                                                                                             HI                                                                                                                                                           10 most accessed articles across the entire

EVENTS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Underpinning the ongoing efforts to adapt        suite of APS titles last year were pedagogical

                                                                                                         C
                                                                                                                                                                         Sarah K Hall

                                                                                               TION & TEA
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to the online context, while maintaining the     studies published in Advances in Physiology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         student experience and managing academic         Education (Barbara Goodman, p. 12). For
                                                                                                                                                                         Cardiff University and Chair of                 workload, Maria Toledo-Rodriguez and Alison      instance, Khalil and Elkhider’s 2016 paper
                                                                                                                                                                         Education, Public Engagement                    Mostyn provide us with a valuable overview       on learning theories and instructional design
                                                                                                                                                       OCRINOL                                                           (p. 22) of available online technologies         models was downloaded 81,467 times by

                                                                                                   CA
                                                                                                                                                   D                O    and Policy Committee of The
                                                                                                           U                                    EN                                                                       to support teaching and learning. All            June 2020! This is the kind of exposure that
                                                                                                         ED                                                              Physiological Society

                                                                                                                                                                    GY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         aspects are covered here, from teaching to       many of us can only dream of and shows
                           YSIOLOGY                                                                                                                                                                                      assessment, OSCEs (objective structured          the appetite for research that underpins
                        PH                                                                                                                                                                                               clinical examinations) and interactive           best practice in our teaching and provision
                 AR

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         (anonymous) in-lecture polling. Importantly,     of learning.
               VASCUL

                                                                                                                                                                         The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the       they also consider student wellbeing and
                                                                                                 HYSIOLO                                                                 central role of education in society. Whether   how to sustain a learning community in the       Paradoxically, whilst pedagogical research
                                                                                              CP        G
                                                                                            LI                                                                           you are an academic, a teacher, a student or    electronic realm.                                is highly valued by our colleagues, Judy

                                                                                                                    Y
                   &

                                                                                    O
                                                                                                                                                                         a parent facing home-schooling, the abrupt                                                       Harris’ latest survey (p. 26) found that
                                                                                 M ET A B
                AC

                                                                                                                                                                         switch from on-campus education to the          Equally useful are two thoughtful                promotion and progression for teaching-
                        DI
                                                       Y   SIOLOGY                                                                                  NE U R O             online realm has had a profound impact          contributions from recipients of The             focused staff is less apparent now than in
                                                    PH
                             CAR
                                                                                                                                                               SC
                                                                                                                                                                         on our working and home lives. While the        Society’s Otto Hutter Teaching Prize. James      2013, in comparison with research-focused
                                              ISE

                                                                                                                                                                IEN
                                                                                                                                                                         crisis may have revealed vulnerabilities in     Clark (p. 47) highlights four very recent        colleagues. 60% of the respondents to Judy’s
                                      E X ER C

                                                                                                                                                                         an education system that is often under-        research papers addressing alternative forms     survey were unaware of any professorial

                                                                                                                                                                    C
                                                                                                                                                                    E
                                                                                                                                                                         resourced and under-appreciated, it has also    of delivery and engagement, including use        appointments on teaching pathways in their
                                                                         HU M

                                                                                                                                                                         underlined the imagination, resourcefulness,    of flipped modules and musical jingles, that     institutions within the last 3 years. Even with
                                         L&

                                                                                                                                                                         dynamism and perseverance of educators          are relevant to successful online activities.    the advent of the UK’s Teaching Excellence
                                       TA

                                                                             A

                                                                    N,
                                                        N      EN                                                                                                        and students alike as we have successfully      Julia Choate meanwhile (p. 48) takes a wider     Framework, there is still work to be done
                                                VIRONME                                                                                                                  adapted to the new “normal.”                    look at the literature and highlights three      in the sector to recognise consistent and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         pedagogical studies that continue to inspire     achievable promotion criteria for teaching-
                                                                                                                                                                         Much of this issue of Physiology News           her approach to teaching, as well as her         focused staff and establish parity of esteem
                                                                                                                                                                         focuses on the theme of adaptation. In a        ongoing research activities. Writing from the    across academic career pathways.
                                                                                                                                                                         discipline that emphasises hands-on practical   student perspective, Róisín Ní Dhonnabháin
                                                                                                                                                                         laboratory-based skills, Dave Lewis (p.         (p. 46) reminds us, however, of differences in   It is clear that this global pandemic has
Physiology of Obesity:                                                              R Jean Banister Prize Lecture 2019                                                   10) addresses the ways that physiology          students’ technological literacy and how the     highlighted the many roles of scientists in
                                                                                                                                                                         educators can provide relevant and authentic    move online may have exacerbated existing        tackling the virus, and communicating and
From Mechanisms to Medicine                                                         Mind Affects Matter: Brainstem                                                       learning opportunities for their students       inequalities.                                    disseminating this knowledge effectively is
                                                                                    Circuits Linking Stress, Physiology,                                                 within the current constraints of these                                                          more important now than ever. Commenting
                                                                                                                                                                         strange times. He has provided colleagues       A study from The Physiological Society (p.       on the wider public engagement aspects of
Organised by Pete Aldiss, University of Edinburgh, UK                               and Behaviour                                                                        with a suite of alternatives to traditional     14) reminds us of the necessity of providing     our academic lives, Paul Zehr recounts (p. 40)
and Jo Lewis, University of Cambridge, UK                                                                                                                                laboratory-based final-year research            practical laboratory-based skills training for   his use of the physiology of superheroes
                                                                                                                                                                         projects that are achievable and imaginative.   our students. Although physiology graduates      to explain our science to non-experts. He
                                                                                    Marie Holt, Florida State University, USA                                            He also makes suggestions for remote            find employment across the wide spectrum         concludes that if knowledge is power then
Adipose Tissue in Metabolic Physiology                                              Tuesday 17 November, 15:00 – 16:00 GMT                                               alternatives to laboratory-based practicals     of careers, the largest single occupation        we, as physiologists, are superheroes! Now
Tuesday 6 October, 14:00 – 15:00 BST                                                                                                                                     (p. 13). Marc Demolder shares his view from     is as biological scientists and biochemists.     that’s a good point to whet your appetite on
                                                                                                                                                                         Belgium (p. 32), recounting how practicals      It is incumbent upon us as educators to          for this fascinating issue of Physiology News.
                                                                                                                                                                         were shifted online to such an extent that      give our students the essential scientific
Muscle Physiology in Obesity                                                        GL Brown Prize Lecture 2019-2020                                                     his students did more “labs” this year than     and transferable skills required for them
Tuesday 13 October, 14:00 – 15:00 BST                                               Healing Tiny Hearts Across Generations                                               previously, although he cautions that the
                                                                                                                                                                         sudden shift to a different style of teaching
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to move into this world of work. How we
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         facilitate this in the context of the pandemic     We welcome your submissions and
                                                                                                                                                                         may have adversely affected the quality of      understandably takes up a lot of this edition.        suggestions for our upcoming
Cardiometabolic Dysfunction in Obesity                                              Dino A. Giussani, University of Cambridge, UK                                        student work.                                                                                       Medical Technology Special Issue.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Harry Witchel and colleagues (p. 16) consider            We are in the process of
Tuesday 20 October, 14:00 – 15:00 BST                                               Thursday 3 December, 15:00 – 16:00 GMT                                               In the UK, the transition to online learning    the efficacy of online versus classroom
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            determining the exact scope of this
                                                                                                                                                                         was achieved within 2 weeks of the              learning. While there are arguments for and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            issue, but as usual we will generally
                                                                                                                                                                         imposition of Government lockdown, earlier      against both, they issue a plea for more
                                                                                                                                                                         this year. Laura Ginesi’s diary of events       considered research to clarify matters and                look to cover the latest
                                                                                                                                                                         around lockdown (“Go home, stay there,          to inform future practice. A good place for            developments in physiology
                                                                                                                                                                         and put your teaching online from Monday”       readers to start would be participating in          research, policy and education of
Register for free now and see the full                                                                                                                                   was her management’s injunction) reveals
                                                                                                                                                                         how difficult, time-consuming but ultimately
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Harry’s education symposium at Physiology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         2021 in Birmingham!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            physiology and its allied disciplines.

programme www.physoc.org/events
                                                                                                                                                                         https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.5                                                                                                                  5
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
President’s View                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Letters

    Lessons for The Society from COVID-19                                                                                                                 Supporting clinicians
                                                                                                                                                          on the front line to
                                                       650 people taking part from 33 countries –       secure section of the site where Members
                                                       a truly international endeavour!                 will be able to log in and will sit alongside     save lives
                                                                                                        the Member Portal, which will still be used
                                                       This has shown The Society has the ideas and     for booking events and updating your              Mike Tipton
                                                       agility to respond quickly to changing events.   membership. This new Member area will             Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Physiology
                                                                                                        enable us to expand our array of Member-
                                                                                                                                                          David Paterson
                                                       At the time of writing, our first complete       only materials such as webinars, practical
                                                                                                                                                          President-Elect of The Physiological Society
                                                       virtual early career conference Future           guides and teaching resources. These will be
                                                       Physiology 2020 has drawn to a close. It         exclusively for our growing community of          Andrew Mackenzie
                                                       has been a fantastic week of keynote talks,      Members. We are starting this work now and        Head of Policy and Communications,
                                                       oral communications, panel discussions and       the new section will go live next year.           The Physiological Society
                                                       poster presentations – all conducted in a
                                                       virtual environment. We have had people          We also know that our Members want                In the space of less than 6 months, the
                                                       join us, both as presenters and attendees,       more networking opportunities – 88% of            COVID-19 pandemic has caused an
                                                       from across the world. The feedback on the       respondents to a Member survey we held in         unprecedented global health and economic
                                                       science has been overwhelmingly positive, as     March told us this was a priority for them,       crisis. At the time of writing (July 2020) there
                                                       has the response to the technology we used       with over half saying that networking with        have been over 12 million cases worldwide
                                                       to host the conference. People could attend      Members is currently difficult. Our new           and over half a million deaths. The Director-
                                                       while sitting in their garden (even if the       online Member area will seek to change that.      General of the World Health Organization,
                                                       weather has not always been sunny!). And by      We are working on an online community for         Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said
                                                       programming it over the course of a week we      Members, which we hope will become the            that “The worst is yet to come.”                   In this time of crisis it is more important than   hours we aimed to have an evidence-based
                                                       enabled people to attend while also keeping      home of physiologists on the web.                                                                    ever for the scientific community to come          response prepared for online posting. This

    Bridget Lumb                                       on top of their day jobs.
                                                                                                        Members will be able to discuss the latest
                                                                                                                                                          It is clear that the only route out of this
                                                                                                                                                          crisis is through scientific research. Whether
                                                                                                                                                                                                             together.                                          helped improve the clinical understanding of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                the disease and inform best practice.
                                                       The success of Future Physiology 2020            research, share teaching resources and            finding better pharmacological treatments          Back at the end of March we began
    President, The Physiological Society
                                                       showed that online provision can increase the    engage with Society Representatives. Each         or pursuing a race for a vaccine, the eyes         discussing how academic physiologists like         The question areas covered the whole
                                                       number and diversity of people that engage       Theme will be represented too, enabling our       of the world are on researchers to provide         us could best help clinicians on the front line.   array of physiological systems, including
                                                       with and contribute to The Society. This can     cross-cutting communities to thrive.              answers.                                           Clinicians were working tirelessly night and       queries on abnormal coagulation, renal
                                                       only be a good thing. Even when “normality”                                                                                                           day to keep people alive and simply did not        failure, hypertension, cardiac troponins and
    Membership is at the heart of The Society.         resumes, The Society cannot go back to           This has been a challenging few months            Physiology has been at the forefront of            have the time to analyse the mountains of          PPE. https://www.physoc.org/covid19/
    Through publications and scientific                offering solely face-to-face events.             for us all and I know that many of us have        this search for answers. When COVID-19             data coming through from patients.                 questions/
    conferences, we offer access to the latest                                                          concerns about research and teaching              patients started appearing in emergency
    science, and through workshops and grants          As we plan for the future, we must be able       moving forward. The uncertainty is likely         departments, they didn’t respond to standard       Following discussions with our friend and          While in recent years the discipline of
    we offer professional development to               to evolve and adapt to the needs of our          to be with us for some time yet – and             treatment regimes. Medicine had to go back         colleague Professor Hugh Montgomery,               physiology has suffered from something of
    support your career.                               Members to ensure that we remain relevant,       The Society will continue to support our          to first principles and understand systems         Consultant Physician, The Physiological            a crisis of identity, when confronted with
                                                       including the development of new products        community through this.                           physiology at work.                                Society partnered with the Intensive Care          an unknown, new disease, the value of
    Although in-person conferences and events          and services that meet our Members’                                                                                                                   Society to establish a COVID-19 Advisory           physiological research is clear. The expert
    will always be a key part of what we offer,        changing needs. This will include access to      The lockdown has also forced us to innovate       The result of greater physiological insight has    Panel. The driving force for this initiative       insight physiologists rapidly provided in this
    the current pandemic has demonstrated that         Member-only resources, such as professional      and respond rapidly to new situations. As         changed how COVID-19 patients are treated.         was to enable researchers to provide the           crisis saved lives.
    The Society can support many more people           development opportunities, and Member-           we move forward, The Society will take the        From how ventilators are deployed through          “operational support” to the medics dealing
    by increasing online provision.                    only discussion groups.                          positive lessons from this so that we become      to what medications are used, improved             with patients, and to ensure they benefited        The Physiological Society, and all of us in the
                                                                                                        a more responsive, online Society catering        physiological knowledge is saving lives.           from the latest thinking and analysis. Within      physiology community, first and foremost
    We moved very quickly following lockdown           In response to these changing times, Trustees    for the needs of our Members.                                                                        hours the staff of The Physiological Society       must now act to ensure the physiological
    to establish a series of online resources in our   took the decision at our June Council                                                              While initially COVID-19 was viewed as             had got things up and running and within 48        lessons from this disease are learned so we
    COVID-19 Hub. This included a programme            meeting to invest in developing a new online     All the best wishes for the future.               primarily a respiratory illness, we now know       hours, 26 expert physiologists from around         are more prepared for the next challenge.
    of professional development webinars for our       Member area of our website. This will be a                                                         that this is only one facet of the disease,        the world had answered our call.                   There is still much we don’t know.
    Members, focused on the topics you told us                                                                                                            in addition to thrombosis and the cytokine
    were important - such as dealing with mental                                                                                                          storm.                                             The aim of this group was to support frontline     We must also learn the broader structural
    health issues during this difficult time. Over                                                                                                                                                           clinicians in the fight against COVID-19           lessons about the deep, inextricable
    the course of 10 weeks hundreds of Members         “Although in-person conferences and events                                                         Our improved understanding of the impact           by providing insight into the fast-evolving        connection between physiology and
    took part on topics such as publishing for                                                                                                            of COVID-19 on our bodies has enabled              understanding of the physiological and             medicine, and the importance of a rapid
    beginners and online networking.                   will always be a key part of what we offer,                                                        clinicians to change their approach to             pathophysiological processes underpinning          response in a dynamically evolving crisis.
                                                                                                                                                          treatment, such as no longer rushing to put        the disease. Our physiology colleagues were        Physiology gives clinicians the toolkit to
    We also took advantage of the flexibility          the current pandemic has demonstrated that                                                         patients on ventilators and instead placing        determined to help, and we would like to           deal with the unknown. By working with
    software like Zoom offers to respond quickly                                                                                                          patients in the prone position to improve gas      thank them for their time and support during       clinical partners we should cement the closer
    to changing events. For example, we worked         The Society can support many more people by                                                        exchange. Greater insight into the immune          what was a difficult and uncertain period.         links between our communities we have
    with Mike Tipton (University of Portsmouth,
    UK) to arrange a webinar on guidance to
                                                       increasing online provision”                                                                       response helps explain why dexamethasone
                                                                                                                                                          has been hailed as a “ground-breaking              By establishing a “question and answer”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                established during last few months so we are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                collaborating and ready to respond, because
    returning to the lab, setting it up within days                                                                                                       treatment” for hospital patients seriously ill     system on The Physiological Society website,       in this new normal of uncertainty, one truth is
    of the government guidance being issued.                                                                                                              with COVID-19.                                     we enabled clinicians to send questions            certain: this will not be the last pandemic.
    This was tremendously successful, with over                                                                                                                                                              into the group for consideration. Within 24

6   Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                         https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.6   https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.7                                                                                                                       7
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
Letters
                                                                                                                                                         The Journal of Physiology’s                                                                  FREE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    WEB
                                                                                                                                                         Virtual Journal Club                                                                           IN
    The joy of sex                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  SERI AR
                                                       I attended a webinar recently by The Society
                                                       that featured research talks from male early
                                                                                                        2. We should develop a traffic light system
                                                                                                           on every communication and publication                                                                                                       ES!
                                                       career researchers. I was surprised that            to illustrate whether data bias has been
    Vivien Rolfe                                       they had exclusively conducted research on          considered – maybe red for white male

                                                                                                                                                         Discuss the latest
    Head of Herbal Research, Pukka Herbs Ltd.          male subjects (for what was not specifically        only, amber for both sexes or ethnic
    .                                                  a male health issue). All of the work they          diversity, and green for full diversity
                                                       cited involved only male participants. When         being researched and considered?
    I enjoyed the “Sex in Studies” article in          questioned, one of the speakers suggested
    the Spring 2020 Physiology News written
    by Natasha Karp and her colleagues at
    AstraZeneca. The article discussed sex bias
                                                       that they wished to “exclude the effect of
                                                       menstrual cycles” from their results.
                                                                                                        3. Educators should consider where bias
                                                                                                           permeates into their textbooks and
                                                                                                           lecture notes – do we still persist in        research and learn
                                                                                                                                                         what makes a
    in human research, and that despite an NIH         This last part shocked me the most. It              using the “normal adult male” to teach
    Revitalization Act of 1993 mandating the           was exactly what I recall being told in my          physiology?
    inclusion of women and ethnic groups in            physiology degree a number of years ago. I
    clinical studies, both are still woefully under-   then carried this misconception with me into     By not considering data biases within

                                                                                                                                                         publishable paper
    represented – and rarely included at all – in      my early career. This experience has made        our science, we are not appreciating the
    all phases of clinical development. Natasha        me reflect that we are all strongly influenced   intricacies of physiology, which I suspect is
    cited the work of Beery & Zucker, 2011 who         by our education and laboratory cultures.        what fascinated us about the subject in the
    looked at the distribution of participants by      Perhaps the webinar was a one-off, but it        first place. We need to reach out to students
    sex across a number of academic subjects,          makes me suspect that we aren’t getting our      and early career researchers now, otherwise
    and physiology as a discipline was poor at         physiology education right.                      we’ll not see change for another generation.
    representing female subjects in research – in                                                       We will all be perpetuating the myth that        Meet with your physiology community on the first
    fact, no female participants were found at         Here are some ideas:                             we need to exclude the menstrual cycle and
    all in their analysis of human studies. Others                                                      diversity more widely from our science, and      and third Wednesday of each month to explore papers
    acknowledge that studying both sexes is            1. Those leading physiology courses,             as Caroline Criado-Perez suggests “women
    essential for the future of science, and we           departments and laboratories need             are dying, and the medical world is complicit.   recently published in The Journal of Physiology. In
    need to begin in our education systems to             to map where sex and ethnicity bias           It needs to wake up”.
    start to redress the data gap when it comes           in science is taught as part of their                                                          our free webinars, the host and expert panellists will
    to the female body, as explained in the much
    acclaimed books by Caroline Criado-Perez
                                                          programmes or professional training as a
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                                                                                                                                                         introduce the paper before audience members have
    (Invisible Women, Do It Like A Woman).                                                                                                               the opportunity to discuss and ask questions.

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8   Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                        https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.8
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
News and Views                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Physiology Feed
                                                                                                                                                           researchers (e.g. The Reproducibility         “Our business-minded approach to meeting
                                                                                                                                                           Crisis https://www.youtube.com/               the objectives gave me the opportunity
                                                                                                                                                           watch?v=OwmDzLfg9es; vodcasts                 to utilise my problem solving and                           Read the latest press releases from
     Final year or honours research projects:                                                                                                              on good practice in specific research
                                                                                                                                                           methodologies/tools);
                                                                                                                                                                                                         communication skills on a daily basis. Our
                                                                                                                                                                                                         use of social media allowed us to present the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     our journals at physoc.org/news

     Time for a total re-think?                                                                                                                         • Educational development: Creation
                                                                                                                                                                                                         findings and communicate with specialists
                                                                                                                                                                                                         displaying interest in our research. It’s an                First telomere-to-telomere
                                                                                                                                                          and evaluation of resources for use in         excellent opportunity to demonstrate your                   complete sequencing of a whole
     Dave Lewis                                       still be closed at the start of the upcoming
                                                      academic year or, if open, with substantial
                                                                                                         organs or tissues (e.g. intact animals,
                                                                                                         heart, neurones). This could include the
                                                                                                                                                          undergraduate education (e.g. practicals,
                                                                                                                                                          problem solving exercises). An ideal
                                                                                                                                                                                                         aptitude in a scientific, non-laboratory
                                                                                                                                                                                                         working environment.” (BSc Medical
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     human chromosome
     University of Leeds, UK                          social distancing requirements in place, many      evaluation of the scientific accuracy            opportunity for students to repurpose          Sciences)                                                   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-
                                                      colleagues are looking for alternatives to         and educational benefits of simulations          existing face 2 face practicals into online                                                                2547-7
                                                      traditional laboratory or fieldwork projects.      currently used in education, e.g. https://       versions or create online problem solving      Non-traditional capstones are not without
     Less than ten percent of bioscience              The QAA Biosciences Benchmark Statement            bit.ly/e-BioPracticals or accuracy of            exercises;                                     their challenges, for both students and
     graduates go on to careers in scientific         requires students to undertake a research          automated data tracking/scoring systems                                                         staff. However, with appropriate scaffolding                Scientist Calculates The Maximum
     research, and the overwhelming majority          project. En masse replacement with critical        (e.g. OptiMouse);                              • Science in schools/Public                      and support, these can be overcome. By                      Amount of Hot Dogs a Human Can
     leave science altogether1. Traditional           literature reviews is not acceptable; less                                                          engagement: Create an interactive              broadening the portfolio of capstones                       Eat in 10 Minutes
     laboratory-based, fieldwork or literature        than 10% of students would select this           • Grant proposal: Rather than grant                science workshop for use in schools or         available to students whilst also retaining
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0096
     review projects do not provide the requisite     option given the choice1,2. Non-traditional        proposal as extension exercise, it becomes       as a public engagement activity (for the       more traditional formats, it enables students
     work experience or skills development for        capstones, all of which are deliverable solely     the principal output. Sections within it         Faculty, Charity or other educational          to decide exactly what they want to get out
     the diverse range of career paths followed       or predominantly remotely, are thus an ideal       are those in real grant applications to          organisation). Delivered virtually, or if      of their capstone and choose accordingly.                   For The First Time, Human Cartilage
     by the majority of our graduates. There          solution. These include:                           funding bodies, e.g. BBSRC or MRC. “Pilot”       social distancing conditions are relaxed                                                                   Has Been Engineered in Space
     is, therefore, an urgent need to broaden                                                            data comes from previous studies in the          later in the year, face 2 face.                Capstones are a high impact educational
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     https://doi.org/110.1126/sciadv.
     the expectations that both students and          • Virtual laboratory: Currently critical           supervisor’s lab;                                                                               practice. They can be both transformational
     educators have for final year or honours           review project students at Leeds write a                                                        For more details on any of the above and         and translational (prepare students for the                 aba4174
     projects, to move beyond seeing them               grant proposal as an extension exercise        • Systematic reviews with or without             additional opportunities, see: https://          world of work). An opportunity for students
     merely as opportunities for students to gain       to their scientific paper. Why not flip the      meta-analysis: A defined, systematic           mymedia.leeds.ac.uk/Mediasite/Play/a3a           to showcase their knowledge, understanding                  Study of Over 1 Million People
     research experience or an understanding            concept? Students formulate a research           way of undertaking a comprehensive             dd1c5d3b34120ae9899c30bb67b6b1d                  and skills, including 4th Industrial Revolution
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Finds Intriguing Link Between Iron
     of the research process, to a broader US-          question, design a study, test their             review of the literature, used a lot           or contact me (d.i.lewis@leeds.ac.uk).           skills, to us and potential employers. We
     style Capstone (or culminating) Experience.        hypothesis using simulations or re-analysis      in clinical trials/health science but                                                           should not see online or non-traditional                    Levels And Lifespan
     Students apply the knowledge and skills            of existing data, and when laboratories          increasingly in animal experiments             The critical question is what do students        capstones as a short-term fix in response                   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-
     gained in earlier years to an enquiry-based        re-open, undertake a short proof of              and education. Previous reviews                think about these alternative capstones?         to the current COVID-19 situation. Rather,                  17312-3
     problem, which may or may not be research,         concept/pilot study;                             undertaken by Leeds students include:          In short, they love them. Given the chance,      an opportunity to develop and enhance our
     and creating an output as a solution to this                                                        Pharmacotherapies for gestational              one in three students would opt for a non-       programmes, to better meet the aspirations
     problem. In doing so, students showcase          • Virtual fieldwork: Use publicly available        diabetes; Animal welfare factors               traditional capstone [Lewis DI, 2020].           and needs of students, and to better prepare                Mind-Boggling New Study Shows
     their knowledge, skills and understanding to       webcams or video recordings of humans,           influencing reproducibility and reliability                                                     them for the 21st Century workplace.                        Dogs Can Use Earth’s Magnetic
     us and future employers.                           animals or the environment to explore            of studies involving lab animals; E-learning   “So rewarding, the highlight of my                                                                           Field to Navigate
                                                        discipline-relevant research questions, e.g.     and other resources as replacements for        whole education. I gained so much from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55080
     Recognising the above, many Bioscience             nesting behaviour of birds;                      face 2 face undergraduate practicals in        it personally and professionally” (BSc           Dave Lewis is Senior Lecturer in
     Departments or Faculties have started                                                               the Biosciences;                               Neuroscience in relation to Medicine)            Pharmacology & Scientific Ethics at the
     to broaden their portfolio of final year or      • Bioinformatics/Big data: Using                                                                                                                   University of Leeds. His interests include                  A Mutated Neanderthal Gene
     capstone projects. The Royal Society of            bioinformatics tools to interrogate            • Surveys/Focus Groups: Any topic                It enables them to try out different career      developing and evaluating non-traditional                   Could Make Some People More
     Biology has made substantial changes to            (e.g. genomic) datasets or analysis and          or area, and of students, staff or the         options in a safe space, and opens their eyes    formats for undergraduate final year
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Sensitive to Pain
     its capstone accreditation criteria for BSc        interpretation of the many publically            public e.g public attitudes/knowledge of       to new career opportunities:                     Capstone projects, and the development and
     degrees. Now any format of capstone,               available (e.g. health, environment) or          antimicrobial resistance; attitudes to the                                                      delivery of professional education in research              https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
     including those that are team-based,               School/Faculty research (e.g. neuronal           use of animals in education; interaction       “Always loved working with children, but         animal sciences in the Emerging World.                      cub.2020.06.045
     is acceptable provided they include                recordings) datasets, e.g. https://bit.ly/       between developers, clinicians and             interestingly this project has allowed me to     Dave has previously been awarded The
     opportunities for analysis, synthesis and          OADataRep;                                       patients in the development of Digital         realise it may perhaps be my “calling” (BSc      Society’s Otto Hutter Teaching Prize and is an
     critical evaluation of information, and result                                                      Health Apps (the latter was innovative in      Neuroscience in relation to Medicine)            AdvanceHE National Teaching Fellow.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Male Seahorse Pregnancy Has
     in a defined output. The COVID-19 pandemic       • Computational modelling/                         its use of Twitter to engage participants in                                                                                                                Some Eerie Similarities to Human
     has accelerated this rate of adoption of           Simulations: Investigate the physiological       the first instance;                            And enhances their employability:                                                                            Childbearing
     alternative capstones across the sector.           or pharmacological modulation of existing                                                                                                                                                                    https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-020-
     With the expectation that laboratories may         models or simulations of systems,              • Scientific writing: Creation of web-           “Main thing I’ve gained from the project is                                                                  01289-y
                                                                                                         content for Small to Medium Enterprises        being able to look at complex situations from    References
                                                                                                         (SMEs, e.g. scientific information on their    other perspectives than a purely scientific      1. Lewis DI (2020). Final year undergraduate research
                                                                                                         products https://badrilla.com/project-         one. For example, I’ve had to look at social        project or a “Capstone Experience”? Time for a re-       First Meta-Analysis Confirms
     “By broadening the portfolio of capstones available                                                 landing). The content behind each tab          policy and the law in depth, and as a result        think. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 86(6),
                                                                                                                                                                                                            1227-1228. https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Link Between Lithium in Drinking
                                                                                                         was written by a team of students;             appreciate how science helps to inform these                                                                 Water And Suicide Rates
     to students whilst also retaining more traditional                                                                                                 areas” (BSc Human Physiology)
                                                                                                                                                                                                            doi/abs/10.1111/bcp.14266
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2020.128
                                                                                                       • Commercial/Technical reports: Using                                                             2. Lewis DI et al. (2017). Final year undergraduate
     formats, it enables students to decide exactly                                                      publicly available information to write        “Invaluable to me, in terms of enjoyment            research projects in the Biosciences: Student and
                                                                                                                                                                                                            staff expectations, outcomes and impact on career
                                                                                                         technical or commercial reports (e.g.          within my degree but also skills that I have
     what they want to get out of their Capstone and                                                     impact of legislation, analysis of markets     been able to develop to help me with my
                                                                                                                                                                                                            choices and employability. Proceedings of the British
                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pharmacological Society, Pharmacology 2017,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Anglerfish Physically Fuse to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Their Mates, And We Finally Know
     choose accordingly”                                                                                 etc.) for SMEs or other clients;               future endeavours. It’s challenged me
                                                                                                                                                        personally to motivate myself, set realistic
                                                                                                                                                                                                            London. Available at: http://www.pA2online.org/
                                                                                                                                                                                                            abstracts/Vol18Issue1abst135P.pdf                        How That’s Possible
                                                                                                       • Professional Education: Development            goals, and be creative in my problem solving.”                                                               https://doi.org/10.1126/science.
                                                                                                         of education and training resources for        (BSc Neuroscience)                                                                                           aaz9445

10   Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                    https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.10    https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.10                                                                                                                  11
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
News and Views                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           News and Views

     Physiology education manuscripts in demand:                                                                                                           Delivering a high-quality practical education remotely
     Top accessed articles in Advances in Physiology Education
                                                                                                                                                           Dave Lewis                                          Modification of existing practicals so they can
                                                                                                                                                                                                               be undertaken in alternative environments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   except hands-on practical experience. They
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   have much greater potential than just a
     Barbara E Goodman                                models are explained. The objective of the
                                                      article is to present the science of learning
                                                                                                         variability in student attention arises from
                                                                                                         differences between teachers and not from
                                                                                                                                                           University of Leeds, UK                             (e.g. human exercise physiology studies
                                                                                                                                                                                                               outside) would enable all of these learning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   short-term replacement. At Leeds, we are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   replacing our Level 4 and 5 (undergraduate
     Editor-in-Chief, Advances in                     and instruction as the theoretical evidence        the teaching format itself. Thus, it is the job                                                       outcomes to be achieved. Use of publically          year 1 and 2) recipe-driven practicals with
     Physiology Education                             for the design and delivery of instructional       of the instructor to enhance their teaching       Given the current COVID-19 situation, it is         available webcams to address research               semester-long team-based mini-projects
                                                      materials in the classroom and laboratory.         skills to provide not only rich content but       highly likely that teaching laboratories will       questions involving humans, animals                 using simulations (e.g. of neurones or isolated
                                                      As of June 2020, this article has been             also a satisfying lecture experience for the      not be open at the start of the upcoming            or the environment is another robust                tissues), giving students experience of
                                                      downloaded 81,467 times!                           students. As of June 2020, this article has       academic year. When they do open, there will        alternative. However, video demonstrations          experimental design, hypothesis testing,
                                                                                                         been downloaded 39,910 times.                     be social distancing and health protection          of practicals, virtual reality and 3rd Life are     data collection, analysis and interpretation of
                                                                                                                                                           measures in place which will limit both the         unlikely to provide an engaging and high            large datasets. Simulations enable students
                                                      Number 2 Most Accessed 2019                        The other four Advances articles in the           numbers of students in the laboratory at any        quality educational experience alone. They          to address research questions that could not
                                                                                                         top 10 most accessed in 2019 included an          one time (up to 75% reduction in capacity),         could be used to reinforce knowledge and            be addressed in real-life for legal, ethical or
                                                      “Measuring osmosis and hemolysis of red            APS Refresher Course Report on “Smooth            and also the types of practical (e.g. human         understanding gained from other educational         health and safety grounds. Going forward
                                                      blood cells” by Lauren K. Goodhead and             muscle contraction and relaxation” by R.          cardio-respiratory physiology studies) we           activities, but to achieve the other learning       post-COVID, we can use them as pre-
                                                      Frances M. MacMillan from the School of            Clinton Webb, a Best Practices series article     can offer. We also need to cater for students       outcomes, would have to be packaged with            practical learning activities for students to
                                                      Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience         on “Learning theories 101: application to         who can’t physically be present for health or       other activities, for example the analysis and      design studies and test hypotheses so that
                                                      of the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK          everyday teaching and scholarship” by Denise      other reasons.                                      interpretation of existing datasets (including      when they go into the laboratories they are
                                                      published on 19 May, 2017 (Advances in             Kay and Jonathan Kibble, an editorial on                                                              those available at https://bit.ly/OADataRep).       fully aware of experimental set-ups and
                                                      Physiology Education 41, 298 – 305). This          “The “African gene” theory: it is time to stop    The QAA Biosciences Benchmark Statement
                                                      article from the Sourcebook of Laboratory          teaching and promoting slavery hypertension       requires students “to undertake appropriate
                                                      Activities in Physiology series, describes
                                                      classroom laboratory experiments to help
                                                                                                         hypothesis” by Heidi L. Lujan and Stephen
                                                                                                         E. DiCarlo, and a Staying Current review on
                                                                                                                                                           practical education throughout their course.”
                                                                                                                                                           Similarly, the Royal Society of Biology Degree
                                                                                                                                                                                                               “Which, if any, of these is a valid alternative?
                                                      students visualise and appreciate osmosis          “Recent advances in thermoregulation” by          Accreditation criteria for BSc programmes           Do any provide a high quality, engaging
                                                      (the movement of water and small molecules         Etain A. Tansey and Christopher D. Johnson.       requires “the acquisition of technical skills and
                                                      across selectively permeable membranes             These articles ranged from >20,000 to             familiarity with the practical environment.”        and enjoyable educational experience?
                                                      of mammalian cells). Animal blood is bathed        almost 30,000 downloads.                          We cannot opt out of providing practicals
                                                      in solutions with differing osmolarities and                                                         just because of the COVID-19 pandemic               To address that question, we first have to
                                                      tonicities to explore the concept of water         This short article shows the variety of           and therefore what are the alternatives?
                                                      movement by osmosis and the resultant              offerings in Advances in Physiology Education     Options include the replacement of                  consider why we provide practicals”
     Advances in Physiology Education is one          haemolysis. As of June 2020, this article has      and documents the global demand for these         existing practicals with others that are
     of the family of journals published by the       been downloaded 71,180 times.                      contributions to the literature.                  “do-able” in the current environment, video
     American Physiological Society (APS).                                                                                                                 demonstrations, virtual field trips, provision
     Submissions of manuscripts to Advances cost                                                                                                           of data sets, simulations, virtual reality and
     nothing and accepted papers are available                                                                                                             2nd Life (virtual worlds). Which, if any, of        This leaves simulations. Those currently            protocols and know what they are looking
     with free access from their initial posting      “Of all the APS family of journals, 7 out of the 10                                                  these is a valid alternative? Do any provide        available to educators range from the complex       for, for example modification of ion channels
     online. Annually a printed copy of the journal                                                                                                        a high quality, engaging and enjoyable              (and costly) human patient simulators (used         in simulations of single neurones followed by
     with all 4 issues is available to those who      most accessed articles (full-text accesses) during                                                   educational experience? To address that             extensively in medical and health sciences          real-life electrophysiological recordings in
     request it. Publications in Advances are                                                                                                              question, we first have to consider why we          education) to computer or web-based                 snail brain or other invertebrate preparations.
     contributed from the global community of         2019 were published in Advances”                                                                     provide practicals. Reasons could include:          simulations of organs, tissues, cells or even
     physiology educators and carefully peer-                                                                                                                                                                  biological processes. Long gone are the             In short, it is time to ditch those dated, dusty
     reviewed by expert colleagues. Of all the                                                                                                             • Giving students hands-on experience               days of slow simulations of dubious validity.       practicals, broaden our expectations and
     APS family of journals, 7 out of the 10 most                                                                                                            of experimental techniques and the                There are many high quality, scientifically         learning outcomes, embrace technology and
     accessed articles (full-text accesses) during                                                                                                           development of laboratory skills;                 robust simulations and models available,            adopt a more blended approach to practical
     2019 were published in Advances. The top                                                                                                                                                                  increasingly being used both in research            education. In so doing, better prepare
     three accessed Advances articles are briefly     Number 3 Most Accessed 2019                        Barbara E. Goodman, PhD., is Professor of         • Reinforce knowledge and understanding             and drug development. In a project part-            our students for the remainder of their
     described below.                                                                                    Physiology at Sanford School of Medicine            gained from other educational activities;         funded by a British Pharmacological Society         programmes and for their future careers,
                                                      “Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds,        of the University of South Dakota. As a                                                               Teaching Grant, I am collating simulations          whatever these may be.
                                                      10 minutes, or more?” by Neil A. Bradbury of       long-time member of the Editorial Board,          • Education in, and experience of,                  from across the world that can be used in
     Number 1 Most Accessed 2019                      the Department of Physiology and Biophysics        Associate Editor, and now Editor-in-Chief           experimental design;                              Bioscience education. This is a living list,
                                                      of Chicago Medical School, Rosalind                of Advances, she is also a past chair of the                                                          available at: https://bit.ly/e-BioPracticals        Dave Lewis is Senior Lecturer in
     “Applying learning theories and instructional    Franklin University of Medicine and Science,       American Physiological Society’s Education        • Education in, and experience of, data             which will be updated regularly. If you know        Pharmacology & Scientific Ethics at the
     design models for effective instruction” by      North Chicago, Illinois, USA published on 8        and Communications Committees, and the              analysis and interpretation;                      of any additional simulations, either free or       University of Leeds. His interests include
     Mohammed K. Khalil and Ihsan A. Elkhider         November, 2016 (Advances in Physiology             Teaching Section and organiser of the APS                                                             commercially available, please send me details      developing and evaluating non-traditional
     from the University of South Carolina School     Education 40, 509 – 513). This article             Institutes on Teaching and Learning and the       • Development of critical thinking,                 (d.i.lewis@leeds.ac.uk) and I will add them.        formats for undergraduate final year
     of Medicine in Greenville, South Carolina,       presents a Personal View by reviewing the          Physiology Educators Community Of Practice          creativity, problem solving,                      Given our need for alternatives to practicals       Capstone projects, and the development and
     USA published on 11 April, 2016 (Advances        literature on the “common knowledge” and           blog site. https://blog.lifescitrc.org/pecop/       communication and team working skills;            is immediate, this list does not contain any        delivery of professional education in research
     in Physiology Education 40, 147 – 156). In       “consensus” that there is a decline in students’                                                                                                         evaluations. These will be added at a later date.   animal sciences in the Emerging World.
     this article from the Best Practices series,     attention 10 – 15 min into lectures. The author                                                      • Fostering the development of                                                                          Dave has previously been awarded The
     the major learning theories are discussed and    believes that the most consistent finding                                                              collaborative learning networks.                  Used appropriately, simulations can address         Society’s Otto Hutter Teaching Prize and is an
     selected examples of instructional design        from his literature review is that the greatest                                                                                                          all the learning outcomes for practicals            AdvanceHE National Teaching Fellow.

12   Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                        https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.12   https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.13                                                                                                                         13
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
News and Views                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    News and Views

     Mapping the landscape for physiology students and graduates                                                                                                         Reports of The Society’s recent committee meetings
     Chrissy Stokes                                    Peter Jones, King’s College London; Frankie         230 to 566 CAO points across SES and                          The purpose of these short updates is to         summarised by the Director of Scientific          Publications Committee
                                                       MacMillan, University of Bristol; Jacqueline        physiology/biomedical science courses (SES                    keep you informed about the work of our          Programmes. It was agreed that once a
     Head of Professional Development                  Naylor, AstraZeneca; and Vicky Walker,              courses tend to have lower requirements                       committees. The following summaries detail       clearer route forward was agreed, a Task and      April 2020
                                                       school teacher. The key aims of the project         than for physiology/biomedical courses.                       the meetings of the past few months.             Finish Group, led by External Trustee John        The Publications Committee met virtually in
     and Engagement, The Physiological                 were to capture the entry requirements for                                                                                                                         Cripps, would be set up. The discussion had       April 2020, chaired by Debbie Baines. The
     Society                                           physiology and related courses, and to identify     For the purposes of gaining focused,                                                                           also considered current cost-saving options       impact of COVID-19 was a recurring theme.
                                                       the employment destinations of graduates            meaningful information on graduate                                                                             across existing activities.                       In light of potential difficulties in recruiting
     Sarah K Hall                                      in physiology and related subjects. This
                                                       information would then be made available
                                                                                                           destinations, the study was narrowed to
                                                                                                           five degree codes, and students graduating
                                                                                                                                                                         Finance Committee
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          To note: The Coronavirus pandemic has
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            new Editors-in-Chief mid-pandemic, the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Committee agreed to extend the terms
     Chair of Education, Public                        to Members, as well as to undergraduates            in 2009 and 2010. Reviewing data from                         February 2020                                    affected some of the activities The Society       of Kim Barrett and Mike Tipton by one
     Engagement and Policy Committee,                  considering employment opportunities and            CVs posted by almost 2,500 graduates in                       Jeremy Barker of Cazenove Capital                had planned to deliver in 2020, for example       year. There was also discussion on how the
                                                       those promoting physiology as a study option        this cohort revealed their job profile over                   Management attended the meeting and              all face-to-face events have either been          synergy between The Society’s journals and
     The Physiological Society                         at their institution. The intended impact           the first decade of their careers. These data                 gave a presentation on the 2019 portfolio        cancelled or postponed until 2021. The            meetings could continue to be improved.
                                                       would be to support undergraduate study of          show that the largest single occupation for                   performance and 2020 outlook. The                Society has responded by successfully             Experimental Physiology’s call for papers
                                                       physiology and highlight career pathways for        all physiology graduates (including SES) is                   Committee received and discussed the Q419        moving Future Physiology to an online             from the 2019 Extreme Environmental
                                                       physiology graduates.                               as biological scientists and biochemists,                     Management Accounts narrative and figures.       conference using new technology that              Physiology meeting had proven a notable
     The Society has a key role to play in feeding                                                         confirming that graduates commonly remain                     It was confirmed the 2019 audit would be         provides the necessary functionality as well      success, and the Committee discussed ways
     the pipeline of career physiologists. This role   In consultation with Society Representatives        in physiology-related work. Non-research                      the last one done by haysmacintyre with          as hosting a series of webinars for each          to achieve similar success should upcoming
     has gained in significance as the number of       from institutions across the UK and RoI, the        career destinations include teaching,                         Buzzacott as The Society’s new audit partner     Theme and webinars focused on professional        meetings be cancelled or ”made virtual”.
     named physiology degrees and physiology           TAFG identified 30 entry degree courses*            management (sales, accounts and business)                     for 2020. The Committee received the risk        development. However, the Trustees are            While research submissions remained
     departments has waned. However, while             that had at least one-third physiology              and clinical/allied healthcare practice.                      register and a summary of key risks from the     regularly reviewing the situation and working     stable, the Committee were informed of
     the number of students enrolled in named          content; these included Sport and Exercise          Reviewing first, second and third career                      Senior Management Team. The CEO reported         with the Senior Management Team to assess         the likelihood of a decline at some point in
     physiology degrees may be declining,              Science (SES) and Biology, as well as               destinations of this cohort demonstrated                      on the one remaining key risk of reliance        the impact of this ongoing crisis and will keep   the future due to global laboratory closures
     undergraduate students do not display a lack      Physiology and Neuroscience. Almost half of         opportunities for movement between                            on a sole income stream and next steps           members updated as decisions are made.            caused by the pandemic.
     of interest in physiology content. In fact,       the Society Reps reported that their degrees        employment categories.                                        on income diversification. The two largest
     as students develop an understanding and          contained at least 50% physiology content;                                                                        reductions in risk score were the successful                                                       The Editors-in-Chief of The Journal of
     appreciation of the subject, it appears they      however, it was noted that the total amount         The TAFG has now reported to the Education,                   implementation of a portfolio of updated and     April 2020                                        Physiology, Experimental Physiology and
     are more likely to actively seek to continue      of physiology in a degree often depends on          Public Engagement and Policy Committee                        legally compliant HR policies and the launch     The Conferences Committee met on 22               Physiological Reports presented their
     studying physiology. This is illustrated by       the modules selected. 29% of Society Reps           and more detailed outcomes from this study                    of new robust and compliant Articles of          April using an online format for the first        respective Editorial Reports. The Journal
     the popularity of intercalated degrees in         also reported that their institution offers a       will be made available online in 2020. We                     Association and Regulations.                     time. The agenda and discussions were             of Physiology and Experimental Physiology
     physiology (reported by King’s College            physiology-named course that students can           also aim to build on this initial work, to                                                                     dominated by the impact of COVID-19 on            remain on a transformative pathway to
     London, KCL) and the high proportion of           switch to mid-degree or as an exit degree.          inform future development of the Society’s                                                                     conferences and meetings. At the meeting,         Open Access with Wiley. There was
     students choosing advanced physiology             The timing and requirements for such a              careers resources.                                                                                             some of the planned conferences for 2020          conversation on how these two journals
     modules following a common-core first year        switch also vary widely between institutions,                                                                                                                      had already been postponed while Future           conformed to the principles of the Open
     (reported by Cardiff University).                 with some restricting movement to the 1st                                                                                                                          Physiology 2020 was discussed since it had        Science movement. The Committee
                                                       year while others permit movement up until          Chrissy Stokes is Head of Professional                                                                         been pivoted from an in-person to a virtual       approved the immediate introduction
     In line with the development of the new           the end of the 3rd year.                            Development and Engagement at The                             Council                                          conference. A new programme of webinars           of Registered Reports for Experimental
     Society strategy, in 2019 we held a focus                                                             Physiological Society.                                                                                         and the future format of conferences were         Physiology – an article type designed to
     group meeting with 16 – 21 year-old               The information from Society Reps was used                                                                        March 2020                                       also discussed. Since the committee met,          minimise publication bias by implementing
     school pupils and undergraduate students          to identify appropriate UCAS and CAO codes          Sarah Hall is a Reader in Physiology at                       The President, Bridget Lumb, reported            The Society took the decision to postpone         peer review prior to data collection. From an
     to discuss how The Society might develop          for further investigation across all institutions   Cardiff University, with a focus on Teaching                  that following a successful presentation of      the remaining in-person conferences and           Open Science perspective, the introduction
     useful resources for this target audience.        in the UK and RoI, respectively. Physiology         and Scholarship. She is Deputy Director                       the outcomes of the Grants Review Task           meetings in 2020. The Chair reported that         of this article type complements The
     As well as highlighting the desire for more       is also taught as part of a number of clinical      of Undergraduate Education in the School                      and Finish Group, Prem Kumar had agreed          the Theme Leads were keen to recruit an           Society’s journals’ statistics, data sharing and
     specific information on routes into studying      and healthcare degrees but these were not           of Biosciences and Programme Leader                           to Chair the Grants Implementation Task          Early Career Theme Lead for each Theme,           preprint policies, and more innovations are
     physiology at university, these students          included in the study.                              for the Physiology degree. At The Society,                    and Finish Group. The first meeting was          and that this call would be open in August.       planned going forwards.
     were keen to have more information about                                                              she is currently a Trustee and Chair of our                   scheduled for March 2020. It was noted           Once they are in place, networking meetings
     employment opportunities after graduation         The group then commissioned work from               Education, Public Engagement and Policy                       that concerns had been raised by the Board       would be arranged in the first instance online,
     with a physiology degree.                         the labour market analytics firm Emsi to            committee.                                                    Affiliate Representative regarding the lack of   and then in person at the earliest opportunity
                                                       gain a deeper insight into UK and RoI routes                                                                      opportunities for Early Career Physiologists     in 2021.
     Advised by the then Education and Outreach        in physiology: both entry requirements                                                                            in the initial offering and the Board agreed
     Committee, a Task and Finish Group (TAFG)         for degree programmes and employment                                                                              that an Early Career Representative should
     was assembled in early 2019 to advise on          destinations after graduation. There is                                                                           be on this group.
                                                                                                           *Degree courses included undergraduate courses that
     the design and implementation of a project        notable variation in entry requirements
     to map the current landscape into and out         for physiology-related degrees across the
                                                                                                           lead to a postgraduate qualification as well as BSc courses
                                                                                                           e.g. a 4-year course resulting in an MSci.                    The outcomes of the income diversification               Stay up-to-date with our upcoming online and
     of studying physiology at universities in         UK, from 72 UCAS points or BC at A-level                                                                          and strategic fund initiative workshop,
     the UK and the Republic of Ireland (RoI).         for a Sports and Exercise Science degree                                                                          held the day before Council, which had
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  in-person events, grants, training and more by
     Members of the TAFG came from a range             to 144 UCAS points or AAA at A-level for                                                                          considered the current landscape for income                     subscribing to our newsletters:
     of backgrounds in education and industry,         Neuroscience. The median entry tariff for                                                                         diversification and the potential revenue
     with interests in supporting graduates:           named Physiology degrees was 128 UCAS                                                                             streams using a process of traffic lighting
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                https://www.physoc.org/about-us/newsletters/
     Sarah Hall, Cardiff University (Chair);           points (ABB at A-level). In the RoI there is                                                                      to narrow down suggestions to viable
     Richard Bowater, University of East Anglia;       also a huge variation in requirements, from                                                                       commercial initiatives for investment, were

14   Physiology News / Summer 2020 / Issue 119                                                                            https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.14             https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.119.15                                                                                                                    15
PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society PNPhysiology Physiology News - Education Special Issue - The Physiological Society
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