Richard Helyer – Physiologist & Simulationist

Richard J. Helyer, PhD, is a senior lecturer in physiology and human simulation at the University of Bristol, UK.

Dr Helyer teaches nearly 2000 undergraduate students per year in principles of whole-body physiology using simulation. He pioneered high-throughput undergraduate learning after the early adoption of simulation in Bristol. 

He specializes in teaching general physiology, including the cardiovascular system, to both science and healthcare students. He has held numerous roles, including School Education Director in Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, and leads a number of modules. He has made many contributions to scientific meetings describing the application of simulation to learning whole-body physiology, with an emphasis on using platforms with a physiological model. 

He is the lead author of Learning Physiology in Context, a short book setting out the core principles for using simulation to teach fundamental concepts in bioscience and medicine. 

He currently holds one of only six University Enterprise Fellowships at Bristol, awarded to academics at the interface of research and industry. Dr Helyer is passionate about the belief that helping everyone towards a better understanding of how the body works can make a significant contribution to improving healthcare practice, population health, and patient outcomes.