Associate Professor Yossi Rathner serves in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Melbourne, part of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. As the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Lead, he investigates innovative pedagogical approaches to improve student outcomes in biomedical sciences, including projects on physical activity's impact on academic success, wellbeing, and belonging, as well as the value of lecture transcripts and active learning strategies. His research also encompasses physiology education enhancements through physiological simulation and core concept mapping in Australian curricula. Rathner has extensive experience teaching preclinical biosciences to allied health students, covering human physiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and advanced neuroscience.

Rathner earned his PhD in the Autonomic Neuroscience Laboratory at the Howard Florey Institute for Experimental Physiology and Medicine (now the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health). He conducted postdoctoral work at the Neurological Sciences Institute, Oregon Health and Sciences University. His career includes roles as Lecturer in Human Physiology at La Trobe University's School of Pharmacy and Applied Sciences in Bendigo and as Lecturer in Human Physiology and Neuroscience Major Convenor at Swinburne University of Technology. Notable publications include 'Virtual reality in higher education' (Fabris, Rathner et al., 2019), 'Differential control of sympathetic drive to the rat tail artery and kidney by medullary premotor cell groups' (Rathner and McAllen, 1999), 'Central pathway for spontaneous and prostaglandin E2-evoked cutaneous vasoconstriction' (Rathner, Madden, and Morrison, 2008), 'Cold-activated raphe-spinal neurons in rats' (Rathner, Owens, and McAllen, 2001), and 'A combination of active learning strategies improves student academic outcomes in first-year paramedic bioscience' (Sinnayah, Rathner et al., 2019). His research interests focus on the neural control of metabolism and body temperature regulation. He has contributed public commentary on physiological phenomena such as cold showers, yawning, and brain freeze.

Professional Email: joseph.rathner@unimelb.edu.au