About us

The Department of Physiology at Monash University was established in 1962 and is internationally recognised for its strength in research and teaching. We currently have more than 2,400 undergraduate students and 30 Honours students in the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedical Science degrees, and have more than 110 higher degree (Masters, PhD) students. We are committed to the intellectual growth of our undergraduate and postgraduate students and provide excellent teaching and research facilities.

Our research programs span molecular, cellular, integrative and systems physiology, and focus on developing and interpreting cellular and animal models of disease. Our research strengths lie in sensory neurosciences, cardiovascular and renal physiology, obesity and diabetes muscle and exercise, neuroendocrinology, reproduction, development, and smooth muscle physiology. Our research programs typically attract more than $7 million in research support annually.

Two Heads of Department have served as Chairs of the Research Committee of the National Health & Medical Research Council. The Department has produced six Fellows of the Australian Academy of Sciences, One Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and two Orders of Australia.

What is Physiology?

From earliest times, people have sought to understand the nature of life. We instinctively want to know how our bodies work, how we are born, how we grow and develop, the nature of illness, what happens when we die. Physiology describes the nature of life: how the body works. It provides the framework for studying and exploring the bases of life. Physiologists view life from the simplest to the most complex levels of organisation - from the subcellular, to the whole person. Physiologists make important contributions to areas such as heart disease, reproduction and ageing and global population control.