International Union of Physiological Sciences

International Union of Physiological Sciences
Name	International Union of Physiological Sciences
Abbrev	IUPS
Formation	1956
Type	International non-governmental organization
Purpose	Promotion of physiology research and education
Headquarters	Paris
Region served	Worldwide
Parent organization	International Science Council

International Union of Physiological Sciences is an international non-governmental organization that coordinates and promotes physiological research and education worldwide. Founded during the postwar expansion of international scientific cooperation, the Union engages with national societies, regional bodies, and global institutions to advance experimental and theoretical physiology. It collaborates with organizations across biomedical and life sciences to foster training, standards, and large-scale initiatives.

History

The Union originated from meetings among physiologists inspired by gatherings such as the International Congress of Physiological Sciences, the legacy of figures like Claude Bernard, Ivan Pavlov, Walter Cannon, and institutions including the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), and Académie des Sciences (France). Formal establishment in 1956 followed dialogues involving representatives from the Physiological Society (United Kingdom), the American Physiological Society, the Deutsche Physiologische Gesellschaft, and the Japan Physiological Society. Early decades saw collaboration with the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the International Council for Science to rebuild international networks after World War II and during the Cold War alongside participants from the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, and Academia Brasileira de Ciências.

Milestones include organization of global congresses in cities like London, Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, and Buenos Aires and initiatives linking to projects at the National Institutes of Health, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and the Wellcome Trust. The Union has adapted through scientific revolutions influenced by work from laboratories such as Max Planck Institutes, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Karolinska Institutet.

Mission and Objectives

The Union’s objectives align with collaborators such as the International Science Council, the World Health Organization, the Global Young Academy, and the Human Frontier Science Program to promote research, education, and standardization. Core goals include supporting physiology education at institutions like the University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Tokyo, and University of São Paulo; facilitating exchanges among societies such as the Federation of European Physiological Societies, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology; and advising policy bodies including the European Commission and national ministries of health and science.

The Union advances objectives through partnerships with funding bodies like the National Science Foundation, the European Research Council, and philanthropic organizations such as the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

Organization and Governance

Governance structures mirror those of international unions like the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the International Union of Immunological Societies, comprising an elected Council, an Executive Committee, and specialized Commissions. Officers have included leaders affiliated with University College London, Massachusetts General Hospital, Institut Pasteur, and Karolinska Institutet. The Union liaises with regional entities such as the Inter-American Society of Cardiology and national academies including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of India, and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Statutory meetings take place in conjunction with major events at venues like the Palais des Nations, Convention Centre Sydney, and national academies. The Union maintains relationships with philanthropic and governmental funders including the European Commission, the National Institutes of Health, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Scientific Activities and Programs

Programs encompass capacity building, standardization, and thematic commissions that reflect research trends traced back to laboratories such as Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Max Delbrück Center, and Francis Crick Institute. Activities include workshops on electrophysiology with collaborations involving the Society for Neuroscience, cardiac physiology initiatives tied to the European Society of Cardiology, and integrative physiology programs intersecting with the International Brain Research Organization and the Global Physiome Project.

The Union sponsors training schools, collaborative networks with the Human Brain Project, and task forces modeling data standards in coordination with the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility and the World Data System. It also engages in policy dialogues with the World Health Organization and research funders like the Wellcome Trust on reproducibility and ethics.

Membership and National Committees

Membership comprises national physiological societies and affiliated organizations such as the American Physiological Society, the Physiological Society (United Kingdom), the Swiss Society of Physiology, the Indian Physiological Society, and the Brazilian Society of Physiology. National Committees operate in countries represented by academies like the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and the Max Planck Society. Regional federations include the Federation of European Physiological Societies and societies from Africa, Asia, and the Americas with links to the African Society for Experimental Biology and the Pan American Health Organization.

Membership categories and voting rights follow models used by the International Science Council and other international unions, facilitating participation from emerging research communities supported by programs like the Global Challenges Research Fund.

Congresses and Symposia

The Union convenes large-scale Congresses and thematic Symposia held in partnership with institutions such as the Royal Society, Tokyo International Forum, Moscow State University, Sorbonne University, and the University of Buenos Aires. Past Congress locations include London, Paris, Tokyo, Moscow, Seoul, Buenos Aires, and Cape Town. Meetings often coordinate with specialist conferences run by organizations like the Society for Neuroscience, the European Society of Cardiology, Gordon Research Conferences, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory symposia to cross-fertilize fields including cellular physiology, systems physiology, and translational medicine.

Awards and Publications

The Union administers awards and fellowships recognizing contributions linked historically to prize traditions exemplified by the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Lasker Award, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, and regional honors from the Royal Society and Académie des Sciences. It supports publication venues and monograph series akin to those from Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, and society journals such as the Journal of Physiology, American Journal of Physiology, and Physiological Reviews. The Union also issues position statements and proceedings that inform policy discussions with bodies like the World Health Organization and the European Commission.

Category:International scientific organizations