Ryan Downey, PHD, MA

Dr. Ryan Downey is an assistant professor of physiology and the Physiology II course director in the third semester curriculum.  

Dr. Downey earned his bachelor of arts in biochemistry at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, and completed a master of science in physiology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. His research in the role of the sympathetic nervous system in cardiovascular control during exercise led to him earning his doctor of philosophy in Integrative Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. From there, he continued his research at Emory University where he was also a teaching postdoctoral fellow in the Fellowships in Research and Science Training (FIRST) Program. As part of the FIRST Program, he was trained in pedagogy and learning theory for science teaching.  

Following his postdoc, Dr. Downey joined the faculty at Georgetown University where he was co-director of the graduate physiology program, teaching faculty, and a member of the Georgetown University Medical Center Teaching Academy for the Health Sciences. He recently completed a master of arts in learning, design, and technology from Georgetown University with a special focus on teaching biomedical sciences and facilitating student learning with educational technologies. 

In addition to his scholarship of teaching and learning, Dr. Downey is an associate editor for the American Physiological Society journal, Advances in Physiology Education, is co-chair of the Society’s Institute on Teaching and Learning, a biannual educator’s meeting for physiology and biomedical science teaching and is a contributing content expert and editor for Understand Your Physiology, an interactive, online study resource for physiology learning. He is also a PADI scuba instructor and enthusiastic advocate for ocean conservancy and marine life stewardship.