Frederick Nagel

It is not enough for Health Advocates to understand the physiological causes of disease.  To effectively advocate for change, the role of social determinants of health on individual and community disease risk and health outcomes and how health policies can contribute to or ameliorate illness must be known. 

This course provides first-time physiology students with an introductory survey of the major areas of human physiology.  Students will learn about the human body's organ systems by examining normal physiology and representative disease states to highlight what can go wrong.  Students will explore the range of causes of acute and chronic diseases and infirmity, as well as the barriers to an individual's ability to regain health.  Students will understand the direct causes of diseases and illness, including how genetics affect health and how bacterial and viral infectious diseases are transmitted through different vectors.  A focus will be placed on the role of social determinants in individual and community health outcomes, with specific emphasis on the environment and the effects of income, race, gender, religion, and other factors.  We will also examine the role of public policy in shaping health outcomes for communities using the ecological and health in all policies (HiAP) models.

This course provides first-time physiology students with an introductory survey of the major areas of human physiology. Students will learn about the major systems of the human body; the normal physiology and representative disease states will be examined to highlight what can go wrong. Students will explore the range of causes of disease and infirmity, as well as the barriers to an individual’s ability to regain health. Students will gain an understanding of how the social determinants of health, the environment, and other factors affect acute and chronic illness.