Harvard School of Public Health - Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

Page 28 text:

Left to right —Dr. Forbes, Dr. Amdur, Dr. Mead, Dr. Whittenberger. DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY James L. Whittenberger, S.B., M.D., fames Stevens Simmons Professor of Public Health, Professor of Physiology and Head of the Department Jere Mead, S.B., M.D., Associate Professor of Physiology Ben jamin G. Ferris, Jr., A.B., M.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety Ldward P. Radford, Jr., M.D., Associate Professor of Physiology (from December 1, 1958) William H. Forbes, Dr.Phil., M.D., Lecturer on Physiology Mary O. Amdur, S.B., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology 24

Page 27 text:

Counting the calories. STUDENTS MAJORING IN NUTRITION Miss Beverly Bullen, Dr. Tamara de Vega, Dr. Bothaina El-Boghdadi, Dr. Kon-Taik- Khaw, Mrs. Nichole S. G. Leboeuf, Miss Hsiang Ju Lin, Miss Serene Lochaya, Dr. Lillian Pothier, Mr. William Reddy, Miss Lucilla Sogandares, Miss Saovanee Sudsaneh, Dr. Gerardo G. Zapata. T HE Public Health Family is kept up to date on nutritional knowledge by the considerable variety of educational opportunities sponsored by the Department. From the basic beginner’s course to the advanced seminars, instruction at every level is designed to acquaint the students and staff with the latest developments in the laboratory and in the field. Publications of the Nutrition Department keep the editors of scientific and medical journals well supplied with material. The Department itself takes an active role in the production of Nutrition Reviews,” monthly summaries of recent developments. In keeping with the pioneering spirit of the Department, many research studies are always underway. At the present time, a majority of these are concerned with the re¬ lationship of diet to atherosclerosis. The fatty acid content of the diet, its influence on serum cholesterol, and the role of magnesium and blood vessel integrity are among the topics under scrutiny. But the Department of Nutrition is more than a Harvard research kitchen.” Cos¬ mopolitan interests take its members to all parts of the globe. A recent study is now in progress in Colombia to study certain families of obese monkeys; this study may provide answers to the questions involved in overweight and the development of atherosclerosis in primates. 23

Page 29 text:

Breathe deeply. T N its teaching program, the Department of Physiology teams with Industrial Hygiene ■ to present basic courses in the held of environmental hygiene. The unique research interests of this shy family, however, remain somewhat of a mystery to students, who have a vague impression of barking dogs and the importance of the respirometer. Under Asst. Dean Whittenberger’s direction, the major emphasis of current research is respiratory and environmental physiology. Dr. Amdur investigates the effect on guinea pigs of inhalation of gaseous irritants (such as sulphu r dioxide) and the en¬ hancement of toxic effect when the gas is in combination with aerosols. These studies are of great importance in defining the problem of air pollution. Dr. Mead’s work is concerned with what might be called basic breathing, primarily the measurement of pulmonary function. Dr. Forbes, known for his work in physical fitness, is planning to initiate a series of experiments on fatigue and recovery in small muscles. He also is kept busy acting as Faculty Advisor to foreign students. The barking dogs can be explained by the department’s research on circulatory physiology. A sample article title will make everything clear: Effects of Vagus Stimu¬ lation and of Acetylcholine on Myocardial Contractility, O., Consumption and Coronary Flow in Dogs”—which is enough to make any dog bark. 25