Dr. David Marples

Profile

I trained as a medic at Oxford, and did a D.Phil. in physiology with Ann Taylor before finishing my medical training. After my house jobs, I got back to research as soon as possible, studying collecting duct function and the response to the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin. The discovery of the aquaporin-2 (AQP2) water channel and its role in antidiuresis opened up a whole range of new techniques for studying this system, and led to some exciting discoveries in the pathophysiology of water balance disorders such as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, in which the kidney is unable to respond normally to vasopressin.

Over the last few years the focus of my work has shifted to teaching and pedagogy, and the associated administrative work! After a few years as the Programme Leader for the Medical Sciences course I am currently serving as Director of Student Education for the "biomedical sciences" group of programmes.

Research interests

Aquaporins; water balance disorders; computer-assisted learning

Qualifications

• MA, DPhil, BM, BCh, Oxford.

Professional memberships

• Physiological Society

Student education

I teach a wide range of topics in a wide range of modules, but my main areas relate to renal and gastrointestinal physiology, and human anatomy.