Dr. Kevin Strang has been a frequent visitor to Professor Shakhashiri's introductory chemistry classes to deliver his popular talk on the effects and side effects of alcohol, titled:

ETHANOL: Chemistry and Physiology of the World's Second-Most Popular Drug
Ethanol has been called a "pharmacological hand-grenade" because of its potent and widespread effects on the organ systems of the body. It exerts its effects by altering the function of membrane proteins in many different cell types. Most strongly affected are cells of the gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. This discussion will highlight some of the ways these systems are affected, and address topics like: drinking on an empty stomach, hangovers, and effects on sex, heart disease, motor coordination, memory, and sleep.

Watch Dr. Strang's Lecture Online!

Learn About... Ethanol

Kevin Strang has been a lecturer/faculty associate in the Physiology and Neuroscience Departments at the UW-Madison Medical School since 1994, and is a co-author on a best-selling college physiology text: "Vander's Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function". His education includes a B.A. in biology from Augustana College, Illinois, and an M.S. in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Physiology from UW-Madison. He teaches both undergraduate and medical physiology courses, and has served on the steering committee of the Institute for Cross-College Biology Education. Since 2000 he has focused on the physiological effects of ethanol, after developing lectures for an interdisciplinary course for freshmen, called "Alcohol, Behavior, Culture and Science."