Australia - Canberra: Exercise Physiology
Program Description
This five-week global seminar will use the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) as a base for exploring the theory and practice of exercise physiology and performance science. There will be hands-on experience in making both fundamental and innovative measurements in exercise physiology working alongside the AIS scientists and graduate students. Local field visits to athletic performance sites for students to interact with the coaches and athletes will link what is learned in the classroom with real-world athletic performance. These excursions will provide not only scientific instruction but also the opportunity to interact directly with AIS personnel at all levels – scientists, coaches, athletes and students.
Students will enroll in two courses for a total of eight UCSD units. Class sizes will be between 15 to 25 students, so there will be excellent opportunities for interaction with some of the best faculty at UCSD.
Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
The AIS, located in the capital of Australia, has a staff of 200 (administration and research), overseeing 700 athletes in 38 different sporting disciplines, supervised by 75 coaches. What is unique about AIS is the direct link between science and athletic performance concentrated in a single-purposed, long-term government-funded facility in which all principal stakeholders are brought together to learn from one another: Exercise scientists learn from athletes; coaches learn from scientists; athletes in turn learn from coaches. This is without parallel in the Western world, and does not exist in the U.S. in spite of Olympic training centers. AIS maintains a global reputation for excellence in the research and application of exercise science to athletic performance.
Meet the Professor
Professor Peter Wagner is a UCSD physician and Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering. He has spent his entire 40-year research career at UCSD after growing up in Australia and receiving his medical education there. He has published over 300 research papers, many of which deal with exercise physiology, both at sea level and at altitude. He teaches physiology and pathophysiology to medical students and physiology to both pharmacy and bioengineering students. He has written well over 100 reviews and textbook chapters in these areas. In 2005 he was President of the American Thoracic Society and currently serves as President of the American Physiological Society. Off campus, he is passionate about cycling and wine - but definitely separately, not in combination!
Program Pictures
Check out our Flickr page to view pictures of the Australia program!
Program Objectives
By the end of the program students will:
- Understand the physiology of human endurance exercise (course 1), including the responses of the respiratory, cardiovascular, skeletal muscle and central nervous systems to increased metabolic load required for exercise.
- Be able to apply the principles learned in the first course to a systematic, evidence-based approach to athletic training in a unique setting – the AIS (course 2).
- Work as an effective member of an interdisciplinary research team.
Read the
program syllabus for this program.
Eligibility
This program is open to all students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the U.S. While this program is open to all degree-seeking students, the courses taught in this program are intended for pre-med students and
are therefore academically rigorous. In addition to the standard
eligibility requirements of being in good academic and disciplinary
standing, this program has the following pre-requisites:
- Previous coursework in anatomy and physiology
- A basic background in metabolic biochemistry
You should discuss any relevant coursework and extracurricular activities in your personal statement.To find out more about the application requirements, please
click here.
Program Fee
The program fee includes:
-
Transcript
- Accommodation
- Orientation
- All meals
- Group activities
- In-country transportation
Additional costs that students are responsible for include:
Top Reasons to Choose this Program
- Explore the theory and practice of exercise physiology and performance science at one of the world's premier sports science institutes.
- You will have the opportunity to link what is learned in the classroom with real-world athletic performance.
- Our programs offer the highest quality academics at the lowest costs available.
