Department of physiology

The Department of Physiology is one of the first departments of the university with a glorious history and certain achievements. The creation of the Department of Physiology of a Healthy Person is associated with the organization of the Medical Faculty at St. Volodimir Kyiv University  in 1841. The Department was headed by Ordinary Professor E.E. Meram, who had been a leader of the department for 20 years.The merit of the scientist lies in the fact that he was first who introduced to the teaching of the physiology of research in the laboratory.

From 1962 to 1965 O. Walter headed the Department of Physiology of a Healthy Man part-time. Employees of the department under leader of O. Walter investigated animal’s thermoregulation.

In 1865 the department was headed by V. Thomsa (1831-1895), who was a student of K. Ludwig. He organized a physiological laboratory, where experimental physiological research begins. V. Thomsa created a physiological school. Among his students, who left a remarkable mark in science, it should be noted P. Sukhanov, O.Rava, M. Rogovich.

In 1884 S.Chiriev had been taken the position of head of the Department of Physiology of a Healthy Man.   During his work at the department S.Chiryev significantly enriched the physiological laboratory, replenishing it with electrophysiological equipment, including mirror galvanometers, telephones for studying the potentials of nerves and muscles, capillary electrometer, etc.

1. Chiriev’s great merit is also in the formation of the Kyiv school of physiologists.He brought up a worthy scientific change, some of them became famous scientists.These are Kurchynsky, Y. Laudenbach, O. Leontovych, E. Maidel and others.

The glorious traditions of the department were continued by V.Yu. Chagovets (1873-1941), who began to head the department in 1910. V.Yu. Chagovets  primarily made electrophysiological studies, as well as studies of the physiology of blood circulation, digestion, and so on. He created a large physiological school. Significant for theoretical medicine are the studies of A. Venchikov, E. Stalchenko, E. Stolyarska, L. Gijdeu etc.

Quite a fruitful contribution to the further development of scientific achievements of the department was made by the famous physiologist D. Vorontsov, who began to head the department in 1935-1941. Widely known works of Vorontsovare the investigation of processes occurring in neuromuscular synapses. For his electrophysiological studies D. Vorontsov designed and used a cathode oscilloscope.

In 1935-1941 the following people worked at the department: D. Vorontsov – head of the department, V.  Chagovets – professor, P. Serkov – associate Professor, E. Stolyarskaya – associate Professor  and assistants: N. Yurieva, E. Stalnenko, S. Fudel-Osipova, N. Witte, G. Litvinenko, A. Kulinsky, S. Plotnikova, M. Kulagin, graduate students: D. Mirskaya, E. Mazurovska, E. Leonova.

Since the beginning of World War (1941), the department was evacuated to Chelyabinsk, where the department was headed by  S.Fudel-Osipova.

In 1946, Professor G.Folbort , who was the oldest student of I.Pavlov, was elected as a head of the department. The main scientific direction of the department was the study of the processes of fatigue and recovery in various organs and tissues.

In 1960, Professor M.Putilin  (1910-1982) was elected as a head of the department. Over the years, M.Putilin together with staff and students (D. Nalyvayko, O. Muratov, V. Pirogov, S. Belan, V. Korkach, V. Puninskaya, M. Pindych, L. Lutsenko, Z. Bushmakina, A. Kulakov, etc.) studied changes in the temperature of working organs and tissues in connection with changes in their functional state.

In 1982-1987 the department was headed by Professor D. Nalyvayko, a student of M. Putilin. At this time, the staff of the department focused its research on the physiology of digestion, in particular the features of the regulation of the salivary glands, pancreas, gastric mucosa, small intestine.

From 1987 to 2013, the department was headed by Professor, Member of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine V. Shevchuk, who was a student of Academician V. Frolkis.  V. Shevchuk research interests are related to cellular and molecular mechanisms of regulation of the heart and blood vessels.

Since 2013, the department is headed by Associate Professor I. Karvatsky. The scientific interests of the department are aimed at studying the regulation of membrane and mitochondrial channels of cardiomyocytes, age features of cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, research of the history of physiology and medicine. The achievements of the department in recent years can be summarized as follows: improved methods of studying the cardiovascular system, studied the membrane mechanisms of regulation of blood pressure and electrical processes in the myocardium.