The History of the Department The Staff of the Department Schedule for Lectures 1st Year of Study Schedule for Lectures 2nd Year of Study

Address

The Physiology of Timisoara celebrates 50 years, but Pavel Vasici Ungureanu (1806-1881) can be considered its precursor. He was born in Timisoara in 1806 and he finished the first Book of Physiology in 1830, which uses for the first time Romanian anatomical and physiological terminology and was to appear in Buda, under the title: "Anthropology" or "Brief Approacha to Man and his Features".

The history of Physiology begins in the university year 1945-1946, at the time when the head of the Department was Professor Ilie Georgescu (1905-1963), M.D., Ph.D., "Docteur de L`Université de Paris", "Magna cum laudae". Disciple and collaborator of Professor Ion Nisescu (1884-1971), Professor Ilie Georgescu studies the field of hydrogen-ions concentrations, redox potential, acceptors of hydrogen. He determined for the first time the redox potential of hexuronic acids and vitamin C, proving that the latter produces a reversible redox system.

Meantime, the laboratory was organized and apparatus for biochemical tests, reactives, didactic materials were provided. Starting with 1946, the leading of Physiology Department was taken over by a very close collaborator of Daniel Danielopolu (1884-1955), Prof. Marin Popescu, M.D., Ph.D., (1896-1966).

In his formation Prof. Ion Athanasiu (1868-1926), the founder of modern Physiology in our country, had a decisive contribution. Professor Marin Popescu is well-known in the physiological literature for the researches about the origin of extrasistolic pause and for the "Little and ingenious apparatus for direct sanguin transfusion". He invented a lot of medical apparatus and devices, and published 138 scientific papers, his major topics being the nervous and humoral cardiovascular regulation, neurotransmitters and interoceptors physiology, aspects of the portal vein motricity and pharmacodinamy.

Prof. Marin Popescu was member of the Romanian Academy of Science and Medical College, and he was distinguished with: "Commemorative Cross of War" 1916-1918; "The Medal Victory of the Great War" 1916-1918; "The Romanian Crown in degree of knight" 1928, "The Romanian Star in degree of knight" 1939.

In 1949, the Physiological team begun the scientific work, contributing to the study of direct and reflex mechanisms of regulation of the functional systems. two inventions were performed for the scientific research: device for perfusion of isolated mammalians organs, and another one to register the variations of mammalians organs perfusions. in this time, the themes of practical works are enriched, the methods from experimental study on the animals are elaborated.

Between 1963-1964 the Physiological education was conducted by Prof. Ion Cot[escu (1915-1995), disciple of Prof. Rainer, member of Romanian Academy of Medical Science. He modernized the system of Physiological teaching by introducing an extensive chapter: "General Physiology" and Cell Physiology". He also published many appreciated scientific books: the first monograph of electrocardiography in our country, "The living system", "Cell Physiology". In the first decade of physiological education in Timisoara, among the members of the staff were: Ernest Schorscher, Stefan Weiss, Stefania Ducu, Eleonora Zissu, Carabas-Gyulai Monica, Gheorghe Rudas, Ion Rabagia, Ilie Florea, Mihai Tomus, Ioana Crisan.

Between 1964-1983 Prof. Andrei Mirza M.D., Ph.D. (1917-1983) became the leader of the physiological education. He was disciple and collaborator of Prof. Marin Popescu, he worked from 1947 at the Discipline of Physiology and followed the whole hierarchy up to professor and head of Physiology Department. In this time the education together with the research work were improved and the scientific work was centered on clearing the neurohumoral phagocyto-stimulating mechanism, the role of peripheral chemoreception in its activation.

Prof. Francisc Schneider M.D. Ph.D. is the head of the Discipline from 1983 and also head of the Physiology Department from 1992, being the disciple of Prof. Marin Popescu and Prof. Ion Cotaescu. Beginning with 1960 he successively followed the hierarchy degrees and became professor in 1990, full memeber of Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences in 1994 and active member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1995.

Physiology is studied during three semesters, the lectures being designed to assure the knowledge of Clinical Physiology, taking into account the latest scientific information. The laboratory has been reorganized and the laboratory applications have been assessed in modules. In 1991 the immunophysiological laboratory is set up and endowed with modern devices which allow multiple investigations of cellular and humoral immunology. During the first period, the researches were centered on the exercise and tiredness physiology. In the last years, the airway physiology and immunophysiology are the major research domains. The fields of veins physiology, stress and psycho-neuro-endocrine modulation of immune system were also approached.

The training of didactic staff by scientific and didactic documentation, fellowships and participations to local, national, international scientific meetings has been always assured. The Department of Physiology also offers many opportunities to encourage student participation in scientific activities. At the professional competitions the students from Timisoara acquired the first place by: Lavinia Leanca-Noveanu 1985, Tudor Oprea 1986, Eugen Gornic 1987, Cristina Zegheru 1988.

The discipline organized four National Conferences of Physiology, an International Course of Immunology and Workshop on Flowcytometry. Many years from now on, research contracts in the field of bronchomotricity and immunophysiology, with the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences, with the Romanian Academy and the Ministry of Education will be developed. The members of the discipline publish "Fiziologia/Physiology", the official journal of the Romanian Society of Physiological Sciences (in english language).

Starting with 1991, three doctoral dissertations were sustained by Tudor Ionel Oprea - "Theoretical and experimental studies on beta-adrenoceptors from the respiratory system", Georgeta Mihalas - "Experimental and clinical researches concerning the implications of calcium and calcium channel blockers in regulation of bronchomotricity" and Vladut Emanoil - "Chronobiological study concerning the tolerance to alternative shift work in glass-blowers". At present, in our discipline other ten thesis are in work. More than 100 graduation papers in physiology have been coordinated.

The methodological guidance concerns the field of Clinical Physiology and Functional Explorations. in this respect, various postuniversity lectures (residency, improvement of medical activity) have been organized. The Laboratory of Clinical Physiology and Functional Explorations in the District Hospital is also directed by the Discipline of Physiology, representing a real model in this field. The teaching staff of the Department also provides research activity within the Laboratory of Applied Physiology of The Medical Research Center.