The Department of Physiology and Biophysics is committed to achieving excellence in research and teaching, and to developing leaders in the scientific community both today and in the future.

Members of the Department serve on and provide leadership roles for various national and international committees, including NIH Study Sections, Editorial Boards, and Scientific Advisory Boards. Members of the Department are regularly invited to give seminars and plenary lectures at universities and conferences throughout the U.S. and overseas.

In both its research efforts and its teaching role, the Department focuses on the integration of systems and molecular biology, and the use of this approach to understand pathophysiology. The Department plays a significant role in teaching integrative concepts to medical students, and the principles and practice of scientific investigation to PhD and MD/PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows.

The Department is highly collegial with multiple scientific and teaching interactions among members within the Department as well as with members of other Departments within the University. Several members of the faculty of the Department are also jointly appointed in other departments and institutes within the Keck School of Medicine.