His interest in physiology and biomedical research began in 1977 when he was recruited to participate as a subject in a study on lactic acid and distance running performance.
[6] Joyner is currently the Frank R. and Shari Caywood Professor of Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic, where his laboratory has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health since 1993.
He was named a Distinguished Investigator by his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in 2010, and he received the American Physiological Society’s Walter B. Cannon Award in 2013.
[18] An outspoken critic of reductionism in science and medicine,[9][19] he has been called "one of the world's most widely cited experts on the limits of human performance.
"[20] Joyner is also a fierce defender of academic freedom and the ability of scientists to share their opinions and knowledge without fear in the public square.