Integrative Physiology Graduate Programs

The University of Iowa > Dept. of Integrative Physiology > Graduate Programs

Home

Contact Us

Faculty

Graduate Programs Home

News

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS)

We currently have 15 graduate students in the Integrative Physiology Graduate Program. Here are some comments on why our graduates chose The University of Iowa and Integrative Physiology:

Stephanie Hynes - 3rd year Ph.D. candidate

Research Interests: Post-stroke neurorehabilitation of the upper extremity. I am also interested in motor development and learning in general. Advisor: Dr. Warren Darling

I'm from Chicagoland and I earned my B.S. in Sociology and Psychology at the University of Iowa, 2004. My interest in the motor system emerged during my training in Psychology which focused on motor development, learning and behaviorism. After graduating I was hired as an RA in the Psychiatry Department in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. There I managed studies of cardiovascular fitness and neuropsychological performance in the elderly, a population I enjoyed helping. Two years later, I chose this Ph.D. program because it enables me to study the motor system in a context that stands to benefit the aging population. Dr. Darling's expertise, individualized attention, and nurturing mentorship are second to none. As an added bonus, I stayed in Iowa City. Iowa City is considered amongst the best places to live in the U.S., and one of the most educated cities in the U.S., among other accolades. Visit our idyllic campus, especially in the fall or spring. You’ll see it’s quite livable and enlightened - it's a semi-utopia in a geographically unlikely place.

Kevin Rarick - 3rd year Ph.D. candidate

Research interests: Using a cell culture model of isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes to investigate the mechanosensitive pathways involved in pathogenic cardiac hypertrophy - Advisor: Dr. Harald Stauss

I am originally from Drums, Pennsylvania. I completed a B.S. in Kinesiology at The Pennsylvania State University in 2000 and a M.S. in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Science at East Stroudsburg University in 2001. I worked as a research technician at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine before coming to The University of Iowa to pursue a Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology. I chose to attend The University of Iowa because of the research interests of the faculty within the Department of Integrative Physiology as well as the collaborative potential with faculty from the University Hospital and College of Medicine. Personally, I found that the Iowa City area has a great combination of small town living and outdoor recreation activities, with the added benefit of a culturally rich atmosphere from a large University.

Pranav J. Parikh - 2nd year Ph.D. candidate

Research Interest: Here in the Motor Control Laboratories, we are trying to discover the cause of the impairment in fine manual dexterity in healthy and diseased old adults. Advisor: Dr. Kelly J. Cole

I was born in Vadodara, a small city situated in the state of Gujarat in the western part of India. This is where I received my undergraduate dual-degree in Medicine and Surgery (M.B.B.S.) from the Baroda Medical College, the M.S. University of Baroda in 2006. Then, I came to US and pursued a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, a multi-campus program, at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, MA in 2008. The two reasons that convinced me to join this department were the fascinating research work on-going in the Motor Control Laboratories, and the prestigious Presidential Graduate Fellowship that would provide ample time to focus on research.

Tom Ebnet - 2nd year PhD candidate

Research interests: cardiovascular function, human performance, hydration, and diabetic autonomic neuropathy influences on sympathetic vascular control - Advisor: Dr. Harald Stauss

I am originally from St. Cloud, Minnesota. I received a BS in Exercise Science and Pre-professional Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2006. I attended St. Cloud State University for graduate classes in Exercise Physiology, teaching assistantships, EKG stress testing, athletic performance testing, and hydration studies in the Human Performance Lab at SCSU before coming to the University of Iowa in August 2008. I chose to attend the University of Iowa for the PhD program because of my aligned interests with the faculty in the Department of Integrative Physiology, the opportunity to collaborate on research interests with the faculty at the University Hospital and College of Medicine, and the opportunity to be both a teaching assistant and instructor for multiple courses. I also found Iowa City to be a great place as an outdoor enthusiast and sports fan.