The International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) was formed from the Permanent Committee which had been established in 1929 to organize the International Physiological Congresses, the first of which was held in 1889. Originally these meetings, which occur quadriennally, included biochemistry and pharmacology, but these both have since organized their own Unions.
The objectives of IUPS are to encourage the advancement of the physiological sciences, to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge in the field of physiological sciences, to foster and encourage research in the field, to promote the International Congresses of Physiological Sciences, to promote such other meetings as may be useful, and to promote other such measures as will contribute to the development of physiological sciences.
The Union publishes, in conjunction with the American Physiological Society, News in Physiological Sciences (NIPS), a journal composed of short, up-to-date reviews of modern physiology. This journal is directed to scientists and teachers throughout the world in order to help them maintain a current knowledge of all fields of physiology. In addition, there is an IUPS website, which contains information about the organization and its member societies, as well as a newsletter published quarterly containing invited articles and news of the Union.
The Union is composed of 54 National Members, 10 Associate Members, 2 Affiliated Members, 5 Regional Members and 5 Special Members. There are eight Commissions which deal with 1) Locomotion, 2) Circulation/ Respiration, 3) Endocrinology, Reproduction and Development, 4) Senses, 5) Secretion and Absorption, 6) Neural Control, 7) Comparative Physiology, and 8) Genomics and Biodiversity; the commissions formerly dealing with Education and the Physiome have become Committees so as to have a better interactive role with all of the commissions. In addition there are several committees to deal with administrative matters.