Medical Physiology

Medical physiology is the study of how the human body functions: how its component ions, atoms, molecules, cells, and systems work together to maintain health, and how subtle changes in that functioning give rise to disease. It is a discipline that sits at the foundations of medicine, providing the mechanistic understanding of the body that allows clinicians to diagnose conditions, predict responses to treatment, and develop new therapeutic approaches. As medicine has become more molecular and more data-driven, the understanding of physiology at a cellular and systems level has become increasingly central to clinical practice and biomedical research.

The three-year full-time Medical Physiology programme at the University of Leicester develops your understanding of how the body's components operate in normal physiology and how they malfunction in disease, providing the opportunity to understand how we target disease and how new therapies might be developed. You will study cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, endocrine, and nervous system physiology, alongside cell biology, pharmacology, and the molecular mechanisms that underpin physiological regulation. A sandwich year, year abroad, and work placement options give you professional and international research experience at different stages of the programme, which is particularly valuable in a field where laboratory skills and exposure to research environments are important for graduate careers.

With a typical entry tariff of 136 points, the programme attracts students who combine scientific curiosity with a genuine interest in how the body works. Graduates pursue careers in biomedical research, pharmaceutical development, clinical physiology, healthcare science, regulatory affairs, and science communication. Many also go on to postgraduate study in physiology, pharmacology, medicine, or related biomedical sciences, or to professional training programmes in healthcare.