Recognition of Dr. Oksana Zayachkivska: Among 150 Voices for the 150th celebration of The Physiological Society
The American University of Health Sciences is proud to celebrate a remarkable honor for one of our own. Dr. Oksana Zayachkivska, Professor of Physiology and Pathophysiology at the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy, has been included in the prestigious 150 Voices for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of The Physiological Society [1], one of the world’s leading scientific organizations dedicated to advancing the understanding of physiology. The blog, published on April 16, 2026, highlights Dr. Zayachkivska as a recipient of the Paton Fund, a competitive award established for physiological discoveries [2].
For the AUHS community, students, faculty, staff, and alumni, this recognition is more than a career milestone for one professor. It is a testament to the caliber of scholarship that happens right here on our Signal Hill campus in California.
The Faces of Physiology blog series is The Physiological Society’s platform for spotlighting scientists whose work and lives exemplify the spirit of science of physiology. Being selected for inclusion means standing alongside some of the most distinguished physiologists working today. That Dr. Zayachkivska’s name now appears on that company’s roster is a source of genuine pride for the AUHS family.
The Paton Historical Studies Fund was established in 1990 through a generous personal donation from Professor Sir William Paton FRS, an eminent English pharmacologist, former Secretary of The Physiological Society, and Fellow of the Royal Society, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest pharmacologists. The Society matched his gift, creating a fund with one purpose: to encourage scientists to dig into the rich, often untold history of physiology and bring those stories back to life.
Dr. Zayachkivska brings to AUHS a career that spans countries and disciplines. With her research experience at the cross-section of physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal and metabolic physiology, obesity, stress medicine, Long COVID, and cytoprotection, she has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds 9 patents [3-5]. She has mentored doctoral students, led curriculum development, participated in international conferences, and served on the Editorial Board of top-tier medical journals, including Frontiers of Pharmacology, Inflammopharmacology, J of Clinical Gastroenterology, Medical Sciences of Proceedings of Shevchenko Scientific Journal, and others.
Warm congratulations, Dr. Oksana Zayachkivska, from the entire AUHS community, on this well-deserved international recognition!
Inclusion of 150 Faces of Physiology at a global scale reflects not only her personal excellence but also the standard of scholarship that defines our institution. This recognition has real meaning for the students who sit in Dr. Zayachkivska’s classes. They can learn from a faculty member whose expertise and reputation extend far beyond our campus, someone who is actively shaping the global conversation in physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.
References:
- 150 years of Discovery Sharing our Knowledge The Physiological Society
- Oksana Zayachkivska – Paton Historical Fund recipient
- Zayachkivska O, et al. What role will physiological resilience play in brown-white fat dynamics in obesity management? /Calderone V, Martelli A, Ramos-Molina B, Flori L, editors. Targeting Adipose Tissue for the Treatment of Metabolic Alterations //In: Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA; 2026. p. 162-167. doi: 10.3389/978-2-8325-7499-7 ISBN 978-2-8325-7499-7.
- Zayachkivska, O. Where Is the Place of the Modern Understanding of Obesity in GI Problems in Parkinson Disease? Reviewing Traditional Models Through Contemporary View. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 59(6): p 582, July 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000002207
- Zayachkivska, O, et al. Long COVID has variable incidence and clinical presentations: our 6-country collaborative study. Inflammopharmacology, 33(3), 1531-1535, 2025.
