Judith Saide, Ph.D.

Physiology offers many opportunities to marvel at the workings of the body that serve us for a lifetime. I have shared with students my fascination with physiological mechanisms as a lecturer, discussion leader and course manager at BU School of Medicine for over 40 years. Mastery of the subject is challenging. It requires conceptual thinking, and as an educator, I continually strive to make complex processes clear and available to students to help solidify their understanding. My interest in teaching Physiology has been sustained not only because the field is dynamic and evolves with scientific discovery, but because exchanges with students are fun and enriching. Frequently, a student will ask a question that helps me see a problem from a different perspective or motivates me to do a deeper dive into a topic. These interactions are stimulating. They improve my teaching and support my goal to provide a strong foundation in Physiology that helps students assimilate new knowledge as they move forward in their careers.

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Current Lecturer/Discussion Leader:

• Human Physiology A/B PH 730/731 Graduate Medical Sciences Masters of Medical Science Program
• Cardiovascular System MS 145M1 Boston University School of Medicine MD Program
• Respiratory System • MS 145M2 Boston University School of Medicine MD Program
• GI & Nutrition MS 146M1 Boston University School of Medicine MD Program
• Dental Physiology MD 514 Goldman School of Dental Medicine DMD Program
• Physiology PS 702 Graduate Medical Sciences Physician Assistant Program

Course Director:

• Cardiovascular System MS 145M1 (2022, 2015-2018) Boston University School of Medicine MD Program
• Medical Physiology MED MS 134 Boston University School of Medicine MD Program (2005- 2012)
• Introduction to Human Physiology (MEDME 542 or MEDME 543) 1983-1992 Modular Medical Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC) Program

As course director, I have worked on many course documents that support student learning. This has involved editing and updating course syllabi, designing or modifying discussion problems and clinical cases, writing explanations, and preparing quizzes and examinations.

Other:

• Curriculum planning for the cardiovascular module in an upcoming pre-clinical 15 month integrated curriculum
• Curriculum planning for Principles Integrating Science and Medicine (PriSM), a first year medical school course that launched in 2014
• Informal mentoring of students and younger colleagues
• Thesis reader Graduate Medical Sciences Masters of Medical Science Program

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The medical school is in the process of shifting from traditional classroom teaching to a “flipped” classroom model. Students will be using on-line resources for more independent learning. The transition is providing opportunities for faculty to create videos and on-line interactive teaching exercises. I have enjoyed producing some of these resources, including “Arrhythmias 101” , “Muscle Workshop” , a video describing the cardiac cycle, a video presenting a “Reservoir Model of the Cardiovascular System”, and over a dozen videos that relate to lecture content.

AWARDS

Educator of the Year in Preclinical Sciences (2015)
Educator of the Year in Graduate Sciences (2011)
Election to Alpha Omega Alpha (2011)

EARLY RESEARCH

Earlier in my career I studied the highly ordered insect indirect flight muscle (Apis and Drosophila). Our laboratory investigated the composition and assembly of proteins in the contractile apparatus using a panel of monoclonal antibodies raised predominately against Z-band associated antigens. We described several novel proteins including an extremely large polypeptide (projectin), that connects thick filaments to the Z-band and shares sequence homology with the vertebrate striated muscle analogue, titin. We also characterized a unique thick filament protein (stretchin-klp). Using various Drosophila myosin mutants, we located it to the adult myosin rod in indirect flight muscles. The function of this thick filament protein is currently unknown.

Selected Publications

Saide, J.D. The Insect Z-Band In: Vigoreaux JO, et al. (eds)Nature’s Versatile Engine: Insect Flight Muscle Inside and Out. pp. 150–166. Landes Biosciences, Georgetown, TX. 2006

Ayme-Southgate A, Saide J, Southgate R, Bounaix C, Cammarato A, Patel S, Wussler C. In indirect flight muscles Drosophila projectin has a short PEVK domain, and its NH(2)-terminus is embedded at the Z-band. J Muscle Res Cell Motil. Feb 8:1-11, 2006

Patel SR, Saide JD. Stretchin-klp, a novel Drosophila indirect flight muscle protein, has both myosin dependent and independent isoforms.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. Nov 4:1-12, 2005

Vigoreaux, J.O. Saide, J.D. Valgeirsdottir, K. Pardue, M.L.
Flightin, a novel myofibrillar protein of Drosophila stretch-activated muscles. J. Cell Biol. 121(3):587-98, 1993

Saide, J.D. Chin-Bow, S. Hogan-Sheldon, J. Busquets-Turner, L., Vigoreaux, J.O. Valgeirsdottir, K. Pardue, M.L. Characterization of components of Z-bands in the fibrillar flight muscle of Drosophila melanogaster. J. Cell Biol. 109(5):2157-67, 1989

Saide, J.D.
Identification of a connecting filament protein in insect fibrillar flight muscle. J. Mol. Biol. 153(3):661-79, 1981

Links:

BU Profile
Faculty Profile
ResearchGate
PubMed
ORCID

Contact Us

Judith D. Saide
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics
Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
700 Albany Street, W408H
Boston MA 02118-2526

Phone: (617) 358-8444
e-mail: jsaide@bu.edu