Introduction

History

The Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences started in 2000, with the Master’s Degree Program in Physiological Sciences – Comparative Animal Physiology (Concept 3 - CAPES). The creation of the Masters in Comparative Animal Physiology at the University of Rio Grande (FURG) allowed a quality and quantitative advancement in the scientific production, as well as the training of human resources in the area. As an acknowledgement of such evident situation of constant improvement, professors José Antunes Rodrigues (University of São Paulo –Ribeirão Preto – USP) and Dalton Valentim Vassalo (Federal University of Espírito Santo – UFES), asked by the Committee of Biological Sciences of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), visited FURG in 2004 to assess the conditions of the Masters in Physiological Sciences, and they recommended the increase of the program concept in CAPES (from 3 to 4). In March of the year 2005, The Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences forwarded a proposal for implementing the Doctoral Degree Program to CAPES. On September 14, 2005, after analysis by the Committee of Biological Sciences II, the Technical and Scientific Council of CAPES issued a feedback for the implementation of the Doctoral Program with concept 4. On October 26, 2005, the Teaching, Research and Extension Council (COEPE) of FURG approved its implementation in the first semester of 2006.

Afterwards, in order to consolidate the Program in that new phase, a group of professors and the CAPES assessment committee concluded that the inclusion of new permanent professors was necessary, not only to expand the Program’s performance capacity, but also to replace professors who retired meanwhile. Moreover, the infrastructure of the old Department of Physiological Sciences (currently the Institute of Biological Sciences, since the university reform of FURG in 2008) needed to be improved in order to meet the Program expansion, considering that most professors belong to the Institute of Biological Sciences. Thus, since 2000, the entire group of professors, old and new ones, has participated actively in the consolidation of the Master’s Program as well as in the creation and consolidation of the Doctoral Program. It is important to mention that the Institution has always supported such actions, through the admission of new members to the Program, leaves of absence for professor training, and the significant extension of the available infrastructure.

From 2013 to 2016, the Program went through a reformulation, which resulted in the alteration of its name and lines of research. In 2016, the Program altered its name from Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences – Comparative Animal Physiology to Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences. Even though the Program focuses beyond comparative physiology, it is important to mention that great part of the Program still consists in Animal Physiology, which becomes evident from the data presented at Sucupira Platform (https://sucupira.capes.gov.br/sucupira).Therefore, such emphasis on animal physiology continues to be a distinction of the Program, and the focus on Comparative Animal Physiology is maintained.

The recent process of expansion and qualification of Program has happened within a major context of new challenges in basic and higher education in Brazil, which not only include new strategies and approaches in teaching, but also the increase in students enrolled in different levels of education. Accordingly, besides scientific education for students, in the last few years the Program has provided a wider integration with elementary and secondary education, where graduate education is a way to evolve knowledge and improve the social duty of the Program.

 

Goals

The Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences – Comparative Animal Physiology mainly aims at the education of human resources for the development of research and teaching in the area of Physiological Sciences, at the levels of Master’s and Doctoral Degrees.

The organization of the Program focuses on training professionals to develop research activities about spontaneous and induced processes and mechanisms occurring in animals, including human, physical and chemical aspects, their regulation, behavioral manifestation, and responses to environmental changes. From such broad view of Physiological Sciences, graduates from our Program have a wide range of possibilities.

 

Area of Concentration

The Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences has only one area of concentration, which is Comparative Animal Physiology.

 

Coordination and Contacts

Coordination (2023 – 2024):

Prof.ª Dr.ª Juliane Ventura Lima – Coordinator – juliane_ventura@yahoo.com.br 

Prof.ª Dr.ª Ana Paula de Souza Votto – Assistant Coordinator – anavotto@yahoo.com.br

Secretary:

Leonardo Emmendoerfer Mello – Secretary – posfisio@furg.br +55 5332336848