Mission
The mission of the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology is to advance the understanding of physiology, movement, and human health through fundamental and applied research, education, and service. We provide opportunities for outstanding learning, world-class research, and active engagement with the community, in order to improve human health.
Vision
Faculty members and students will advance understanding of, and make
a positive impact on, a broad range of health challenges.
Our core values and ideologies:
Our core purpose is to advance the understanding of physiology and human health through fundamental and applied research, education, and service.
The Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology remains central
to the University’s mission by providing unparalleled excellence in
education and research in the area of individual human health and
movement, by attracting and engaging a high number of student FTEs, and
by attracting a relatively high proportion of extramural funding and
international recognition for high quality research. Achieving the above
goals will help ensure SFU achieves its Academic Vision, Outcomes 2013,
and VPA Goals and the Objectives of initiating new programming the
area of health, supporting a distinctive program at each campus,
maintaining faculty renewal, achieving enrollment targets, and enhancing
community partnerships.
Goals of the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
Our goals within this mission are to:
- provide high quality undergraduate and graduate education
- increase opportunities for life long learning through both credit and non-credit programs
- extend the frontiers of fundamental knowledge
- generate expertise of practical value
- make the resulting benefits available to society.
The Central Theme of the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
The Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology builds on the basic sciences to link the study of movement, physiology and health with the broad scope of human endeavour.
Our faculty comprises anatomists, biochemists, biologists, biomechanists, biophysicists, engineers, ergonomists, kinesiologists, physicians, and physiologists. We apply our knowledge to study human movement, structure and function throughout the life cycle, in health and disease, in benign and extreme environments, at work, at home, at sports and at play.
Our educational goals are to impart a sound knowledge base and to promote critical thinking, problem solving, research, technical and communication skills appropriate to the field, through our undergraduate, graduate and continuing studies programs.
Undergraduate Teaching
We offer cross disciplinary undergraduate programs specializing in the following complementary areas:
- human movement
- physiological sciences
- ergonomics/human factors
- health promotion and education
Each of these areas includes a common core of concepts and courses covering basic anatomy, physiology, and prerequisite knowledge from the basic biological, chemical, physical and mathematical sciences fundamental to understanding human structure and function. Graduates are able to:
- meet the needs of the community for specialists in health, human function and movement
- gain appropriate employment in their fields
- understand and apply the growing body of relevant knowledge
- continue their education in medical, professional, or graduate programs
In delivering these programs we take advantage of advances in technology which support classroom, laboratory and distance education. Our co-op program provides students with opportunities to apply their academic experience within industrial and commercial contexts and provides employers with opportunities to evaluate students before they graduate.
Graduate Teaching
Our graduate program offers students an education of the highest quality, consistency and relevance to specialized research and professional expertise. To produce graduates capable of contributing to and communicating a growing body of knowledge, we:
- seek excellent students and support them appropriately
- provide specialized instruction and individual supervision
- engage students in forefront research and instruct them in advanced experimental techniques
- respond to specific graduate educational needs of the community.
Research
We use multidisciplinary approaches to investigate fundamental properties of human structure and function that relate to health, movement and physiology.
Within the context of the School Mission, we undertake specific, individual and collaborative research projects. Our areas of research include:
- adaptation to extreme environments
- aging
- cancer prevention
- human machine interactions
- physical performance
- rehabilitation
- risk assessment
Our research projects attract external grant and contract support locally, nationally and internationally from government agencies and from the private sector.
Service
We serve the community through our graduates, the knowledge we generate and disseminate, consulting, and widespread opportunities for education. We reach large sectors of the community through distance education, continuing studies credit and non credit programs and direct access to our human performance testing laboratories at Harbour Centre.
Through our community outreach programs:
- we provide opportunities for upgrading personal knowledge and marketable skills through lifetime continuing education
- we provide expertise in health education, health promotion, ergonomics, geriatrics
- we participate in community health promotion programs
Constitution
Please click here to view the Constitution of the Department.