The Physiology Group at UC Merced encompasses a small group of biologists with diverse expertise that broadly defines Physiology. This group has strengths in inflammation and redox biology as well as receptor signaling mechanisms as they relate to the understanding of the development of many pathologies or inappropriately regulated systems. Among the emphases this group studies include cardio-renal and liver diseases, and metabolic and neural disorders. The principal researchers within this group include: Drs. David Ardell, Rudy Ortiz, Nestor Oviedo, and Fred Wolf.
Dr. David Ardel
Dr. Rudy M. Ortiz: We are interested in elucidating the how redox signaling mechanisms contribute to the development of insulin resistance and impaired lipid metabolism, and how these contribute to the other metabolic conditions such as cardio-renal diseases and hepatic steatosis. (http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/rortiz)
Dr. Nestor Oviedo
Dr. Fred Wolf: We are interested in how, given a set of environmental cues, an animal with a specific history and internal state will respond in a stereotyped manner. Our goal is to find molecular and neural circuit mechanisms that govern simple adult behaviors in the fruit fly Drosophila. (http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/fwolf/)
Memberships to Professional Societies within the group:
American Association for Study of Liver Disease, American Heart Association, American Physiological Society, Genetics Society of America, Research Society for Alcoholism, Sigma Xi, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, Society for Experimental Biology & Medicine, Society for Free Radical Biology & Medicine, and Society for Neuroscience.
