Mission: To perform state-of-the-art anatomic and physiologic research
and education to enhance human health and prepare our trainees for careers in biomedical research and healthcare professions
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Spring is here!
I could not be more proud of the faculty, staff and trainees in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy (P&A) in the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (HSC). We ended the second half of 2022 very strong and started off 2023 with a bang. I'm looking forward to a productive and rewarding year. Stay tuned!
All the best,
Johnathan Tune
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IN WITH THE NEW
Welcome New PHANatics!
New Student Officers
New Society Conferences
Physiology Faculty Promotion
New HSC President
HONORS
Award-Winning Students
HSC Valubility of the Year
Winners of Student Competition
Final Defense Success
2023 Conference Awards
SUCCESS STORIES
Women's Brain and Cardiovascular Health Symposium 2023
GRANTS AND PUBLICATIONS
Faculty and Trainee Progress
2023 P&A HEADLINES
Black Men White Coats
P&A Faculty News Interview
WE WORK TOGETHER
Journal Clubs
OUTREACH
This is Us
A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
Halloween Competition
A Wedding to Remember
SBS Christmas Breakfast
P&A Christmas Party and Potluck
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The 2022-2023 school year has started and with that comes the influx of new traditional graduate students and Medical Science Program research track students. We welcome all new Physiology and Anatomy students, who we call PHANatics, matriculating through our department.
Our students stick together. From monthly scheduled group coffee breaks and holiday parties, to helping new PHANatics prepare for their qualifying exams--this is truly a collaborative and fun group. The entire department is looking forward to the PHANatics-planned departmental retreat later in the year, and based on last year's retreat we know it will be PHANtastic!
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The PHANatics recently held their 2nd election for the new round of student officers. The results are as follows:
President: Viet Dinh
Vice-President: Austin Davis
Secretary: Courtney Miller
Treasurer: Indya Thompson
Historian: Savanna Smith
Physiology Representative: Ysabella Ruiz
SARS Representative: Baonhu Tran
CONGRATULATIONS to all of the new officers and a big THANK YOU to outgoing PHANatics officers Taylor Robertson, Selina Tucker, Courtney Miller, Jordan Gardner, Sal Essajee, and Viet Dinh! This organization would not have started without the hard work of these individuals.
To learn more about The PHANatics, please contact Viet Dinh.
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Experimental Biology is a thing of the past. While we will miss this biomedical science mainstay, we are both excited and optimistic about the emergence of new society conferences. We look forward to networking and sharing science with our colleagues around the nation and the world at Anatomy Connected and the American Physiology Summit this Spring. |
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Physiology Faculty Promotion |
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Dr. Greg Dick was promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy. Congratulations Dr. Dick!
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HSC inaugurated its new president, Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams. She is the first Black female president of a Texas health science center. She is most accomplished and we are sure she will lead the university with excellence. Read more about Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams here.
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Congratulations to Courtney Miller for receiving the National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRIG). Her project is titled “Musculoskeletal Craniofacial Evolution and Developmental Plasticity During Early Life Oral Motor Development". DDRIG awards provide funds for items not normally available through the student's university such as enabling doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus. |
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Courtney Miller
PhD Candidate in Menegaz lab
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Congratulations to PHANatics Austin Davis and Selina Tucker on receiving funding from the American Heart Association (AHA). Austin and Selina received the AHA predoctoral fellowship, a competitive and prestigious award which comes with a stipend and other research support necessary to facilitate their dissertation studies. Read more about these awesome students here. |
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Austin Davis
PhD Candidate in the Rickards lab
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Selina Tucker
PhD Candidate in the Tune lab
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HSC Valubility of the Year |
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Congratulations to Dr. Rachel Menegaz on being one of HSC's Valubility of the Year awardees! Rachel is the utmost example of Our Values--Courageous Integrity, Be Curious, We Care, Better Together, Show Your Fire--in action.
Fun fact--this is Rachel's second time winning this award!! Read more about Rachel and other HSC Valubility of the Year honorees here.
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Winners of Student Competition |
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Every year our students participate in our own 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. This year's competition was fierce but there were a few standouts. Congratulations to the winning students!
1st Place - Rauchelle Richey (Romero lab)
2nd Place - Viet Dinh (Mathis lab)
3rd Place - Jonna Smith (M. Cunningham lab)
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Congratulations to the now Dr. Graci Finco (Patterson & Menegaz lab) and now Dr. Maureen Purcell (Reeves lab), who successfully defended their doctoral dissertations in December. We are all very proud of these PHANactics and we are looking forward to watching their careers blossom.
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Congratulations!!
So proud!!
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Congratulations to the now Dr. Ato Aikins, PHANatic who defended his dissertation earlier this year. Ato is a member of the T. Cunningham lab and we are all proud of all his successes!
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May 2023 will be very special for these and other graduating PHANatics, as well as the rest of the P&A Department! We can't wait to celebrate their accomplishments at the graduation ceremony! |
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As P&A trainees and faculty prepare for the upcoming Anatomy Connected conference in March and American Physiology Summit in April, we have received good news!! Many of our graduate students will be recognized at these conferences for their science and accomplishments to date. Congratulations to these PHANatics and we hope to see pictures of you receiving your award in the next newsletter!
Anatomy Connected Awards
Libby Bradley (Menegaz lab)
American Association for Anatomists Education Research Scholarship
American Physiology Summit Awards
Austin Davis (Rickards lab)
2023 Dr. Charles 'Tip' Tipton Predoctoral Research Award, Environmental & Exercise Physiology Section
Bella Ruiz (Romero lab)
Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award
Jonna Smith (M. Cunningham lab)
2023 Research Recognition Award, Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section
Savanna Smith (M. Cunningham lab
2023 Research Recognition Award, Renal Section
Selina Tucker (Tune lab)
Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award
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Dr. Mark Cunningham and a dedicated committee planned our department's annual symposium on Women's Cardiovascular & Brain Health (WCBH). This was an amazing, one-day event filled with exciting biomedical science and public health talks regarding different aspects of women's health. Along with oral presentations from leaders in the field, students and postdocs from HSC and other universities around DFW were able to share their work via posters and oral presentations. The following trainees were recognized for their work (left to right):
Viet Dinh (Mathis lab)
Austin Davis (Rickards lab)
Kylie Jones (M. Cunningham/Colon-Perez labs)
Jonna Smith (M. Cunningham lab)
Steve Mabry (R. Cunningham lab)
The event was informative and lots of fun--clearly a SUCCESS! Congratulations to the organizers and we look forward to next year's symposium.
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Faculty
Dr. Tom Cunningham
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Published manuscript: Aikins AO, Little JT, Rybalchenko N, Cunningham JT. Norepinephrine innervation of the supraoptic nucleus contributes to increased copeptin and dilutional hyponatremia in male rats. AJP Regulatory. 2022 Nov 1;323(5):R797-R809. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00086.2022.
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Published manuscript: Jia S, Rybalchenko N, Kunwar K, Farmer GE Jr, Little JT, Toney GM, Cunningham JT. Chronic intermittent hypoxia enhances glycinergic inhibition in nucleus tractus solitarius. J Neurophysiol.2022 Dec 1;128(6):1383-1394. doi: 10.1152/jn.00241.2022
Dr. Greg Dick
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Published manuscript: Tune JD, Goodwill AG, Baker HE, Dick GM, Warne CM, Tucker SM, Essajee SI, Bailey CA, Klasing JA, Russell JJ, McCallinhart PE, Trask AJ, Bender SB. Chronic high-rate pacing induces heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-like phenotype in Ossabaw swine. Basic Res Cardiol.2022 Oct 12;117(1):50. doi: 10.1007/s00395-022-00958-z.
Dr. Gef Farmer
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Published manuscript: Jia S, Rybalchenko N, Kunwar K, Farmer GE Jr, Little JT, Toney GM, Cunningham JT. Chronic intermittent hypoxia enhances glycinergic inhibition in nucleus tractus solitarius. J Neurophysiol.2022 Dec 1;128(6):1383-1394. doi: 10.1152/jn.00241.2022
Dr. Rong Ma
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Published manuscript: Chaudhari S, D'Souza BM, Morales JY, Young-Stubbs CM, Shimoura CG, Ma R, Mathis KW. Renal TLR-7/TNF-α pathway as a potential female-specific mechanism in the pathogenesis of autoimmune-induced hypertension. AJP Heart. 2022 Dec 1;323(6):H1331-H1342. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00286.2022.
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Mallet RT, Mathis KW, Ma R. Store-operated Ca2+ channel signaling: Novel mechanism for podocyte injury in kidney disease.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 Dec 19;15353702221139187. doi: 10.1177/15353702221139187
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Young-Stubbs C, Yazdizadeh Shotorbani P, Su DM, Mathis KW, Ma R. Sex and strain differences in renal hemodynamics in mice. Physiological Reports. 2023 Mar;11(6):e15644. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15644.
Dr. Scott Maddux
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Published manuscript: Kim S, Ward LA, Butaric LN, Maddux SD. Human maxillary sinus size, shape, and surface area: Implications for structural and functional hypotheses. Am J Biol Anthropol. 2022 Dec;179(4):640-654. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.24630
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Published manuscript: Kelly AP, Ocobock C, Butaric LN, Maddux SD. Metabolic demands and sexual dimorphism in human nasal morphology: A test of the respiratory‐energetics hypothesis. 2023 American Journal of Biological Anthropology. 80(3): 453-471. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24692
Dr. Robert Mallet
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Published manuscript: Swenson ER, Mallet RT, Xi L, Manukhina E, Downey F, Burtscher J, Ehrenreich H, Burtscher M. A Celebration of the Extraordinary Life of Late Professor Tatiana V. Serebrovskaya (Kyiv, Ukraine) in Advancing Hypoxia Science and Medicine. High Alt Med Biol. 2022 Sep;23(3):284-285. doi: 10.1089/ham.2022.0046
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Published manuscript: Zhao J, Ding Y, Kline GP, Zhou Z, Mallet RT, Shi X. Hypoxic breathing produces more intense hypoxemia in elderly women than in elderly men. Front Physiol. 2022 Oct 26;13:989635. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.989635.
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Mallet RT, Mathis KW, Ma R. Store-operated Ca2+ channel signaling: Novel mechanism for podocyte injury in kidney disease.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 Dec 19;15353702221139187. doi: 10.1177/15353702221139187
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Published manuscript: Mallet RT, Burtscher J, Pialoux V, Pasha Q, Ahmad Y, Millet GP, Burtscher M. Molecular Mechanisms of High-Altitude Acclimatization. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 15;24(2):1698. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021698.
Dr. Keisa Mathis
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Published manuscript: Chaudhari S, D'Souza BM, Morales JY, Young-Stubbs CM, Shimoura CG, Ma R, Mathis KW. Renal TLR-7/TNF-α pathway as a potential female-specific mechanism in the pathogenesis of autoimmune-induced hypertension. AJP Heart. 2022 Dec 1;323(6):H1331-H1342. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00286.2022.
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Mallet RT, Mathis KW, Ma R. Store-operated Ca2+ channel signaling: Novel mechanism for podocyte injury in kidney disease.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 Dec 19;15353702221139187. doi: 10.1177/15353702221139187
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Published editorial: Shimoura CG, Wallace K, Mathis KW. Renal injury and the brain. Front Med. 2023 Jan 4;9:1100487. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1100487
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Young-Stubbs C, Yazdizadeh Shotorbani P, Su DM, Mathis KW, Ma R. Sex and strain differences in renal hemodynamics in mice. Physiological Reports. 2023 Mar;11(6):e15644. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15644.
Dr. Caroline Rickards
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Published manuscript: Brassard P, Burma JS, Castro P, Claassen JA, van Lieshout JJ, Liu J, Lucas SJ, Minhas JS, Mitsis GD, Nogueira RC, Ogoh S, Payne SJ, Rickards CA, Robertson AD, Rodrigues GD, Smirl JD, Simpson DM; Cerebrovascular Research Network (CARNet). Transfer function analysis of dynamic cerebral autoregulation: A CARNet white paper 2022 update. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2023 Jan;43(1):3-25. doi: 10.1177/0271678X221119760.
Dr. Steven Romero
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Published manuscript: Watso JC, Romero SA, Moralez G, Huang M, Cramer MN, Johnson E, Crandall CG. Six months of unsupervised exercise training lowers blood pressure during moderate, but not vigorous, aerobic exercise in adults with well-healed burn injuries. J Appl Physiol. 2022 Sep 1;133(3):742-754. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00181.2022.
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Published manuscript: Fischer M, Moralez G, Sarma S, MacNamara JP, Cramer MN, Huang M, Romero SA, Hieda M, Shibasaki M, Ogoh S, Crandall CG. Altered cardiac β1 responsiveness in hyperthermic older adults. AJP Regulatory. 2022 Oct 1;323(4):R581-R588. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00040.2022.
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Published manuscript: Romero SA, Richey RE, Hemingway HW. Cardiovascular Adjustments After Acute Heat Exposure. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2022 Oct 1;50(4):194-202. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000304.
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Published manuscript: Watso JC, Romero SA, Moralez G, Huang M, Cramer MN, Jaffery MF, Balmain BN, Wilhite DP, Babb TG, Crandall CG. Six Months of Exercise Training Improves Ventilatory Responses During Exercise in Adults with Well-healed Burn Injuries. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022 Dec 6. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003099.
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Published manuscript: McKenna ZJ, Moralez G, Romero SA, Hieda M, Huang M, Cramer MN, Sarma S, MacNamara JP, Jaffery MF, Atkins WC, Foster J, Crandall CG. Cardiac remodeling in well-healed burn survivors after 6 months of unsupervised progressive exercise training. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2023 Feb 1;134(2):405-414. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00630.2022.
Dr. Johnathan Tune
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Published manuscript: Tune JD, Goodwill AG, Baker HE, Dick GM, Warne CM, Tucker SM, Essajee SI, Bailey CA, Klasing JA, Russell JJ, McCallinhart PE, Trask AJ, Bender SB. Chronic high-rate pacing induces heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-like phenotype in Ossabaw swine. Basic Res Cardiol.2022 Oct 12;117(1):50. doi: 10.1007/s00395-022-00958-z.
Trainees
Ato Aikins (T. Cunningham lab)
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Published manuscript: Aikins AO, Little JT, Rybalchenko N, Cunningham JT. Norepinephrine innervation of the supraoptic nucleus contributes to increased copeptin and dilutional hyponatremia in male rats. AJP Regulatory. 2022 Nov 1;323(5):R797-R809. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00086.2022.
Austin Davis (Rickards lab)
- Received grant: Received AHA predoctoral fellowship.
Sal Essajee (Tune lab)
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Published manuscript: Tune JD, Goodwill AG, Baker HE, Dick GM, Warne CM, Tucker SM, Essajee SI, Bailey CA, Klasing JA, Russell JJ, McCallinhart PE, Trask AJ, Bender SB. Chronic high-rate pacing induces heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-like phenotype in Ossabaw swine. Basic Res Cardiol.2022 Oct 12;117(1):50. doi: 10.1007/s00395-022-00958-z.
Alexa Kelly (Maddux lab)
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Published manuscript: Kelly AP, Ocobock C, Butaric LN, Maddux SD. Metabolic demands and sexual dimorphism in human nasal morphology: A test of the respiratory‐energetics hypothesis. 2023 American Journal of Biological Anthropology. 80(3): 453-471. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24692
Courtney Miller (Menegaz lab)
- Received grant: Received National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant
Yu Tao (Ma lab)
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Mallet RT, Mathis KW, Ma R. Store-operated Ca2+ channel signaling: Novel mechanism for podocyte injury in kidney disease.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2022 Dec 19;15353702221139187. doi: 10.1177/15353702221139187
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Published manuscript: Tao Y, Young-Stubbs C, Yazdizadeh Shotorbani P, Su DM, Mathis KW, Ma R. Sex and strain differences in renal hemodynamics in mice. Physiological Reports. 2023 Mar;11(6):e15644. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15644.
Selena Tucker (Tune lab)
- Received grant: Received AHA predoctoral fellowship.
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Published manuscript: Tune JD, Goodwill AG, Baker HE, Dick GM, Warne CM, Tucker SM, Essajee SI, Bailey CA, Klasing JA, Russell JJ, McCallinhart PE, Trask AJ, Bender SB. Chronic high-rate pacing induces heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-like phenotype in Ossabaw swine. Basic Res Cardiol.2022 Oct 12;117(1):50. doi: 10.1007/s00395-022-00958-z.
A complete list of articles published by P&A faculty and trainees can be found here. For more specific details on investigators, their labs and/or projects, please visit our website or HSC Experts.
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The Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit was held at HSC on February 18, 2023 in celebration of Black History Month. It was an opportunity for K-12 students, college students, educators, parents, and health care professionals to engage and interact in hopes to increase awareness of careers in medicine. P&A faculty participated in lab tours, information tables and panels. This event was a huge success. Click here for more information.
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P&A Faculty News Interview |
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We are in the midst of a health crisis. P&A's very own Dr. Mark Cunningham shares his ideas on what needs to be done to fight the fetanyl crisis in Black and minority communities. Click here to see the news report that first aired on NBC DFW.
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Have you ever wanted to review papers in a group setting with other scientists with similar research interests?! Well we have just the thing for you! There are currently 3 journal clubs within the Department of Physiology and Anatomy. If you are interested in joining one of these, please reach out to Drs. Maddux (Anatomy), Ma and Mathis (Renal Physiology) or Rickards (Cardiovascular Physiology). Some of these meetings are virtual. Everyone is welcome! Also, contact Dr. Rickards if you are interested in joining the department's Writing Accountability Group (WAG).
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P&A faculty are a busy bunch! Faculty serve on HSC institutional committees like the President's Council, Faculty Senate, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Institutional Review Board (IRB), as well as SBS committees like Education Council and Admissions. Away from HSC, P&A faculty are highly active on editorial boards, NIH study section and other leadership and committee positions within professional societies like the American Association for Anatomists, American Physiological Society and American Heart Association.
We are dedicated to serving our institution and the Dallas-Fort Worth community and beyond and we look forward to continuing our efforts in the years to come.
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The PHANatics organized a fun event to celebrate Halloween 2022. We had a a costume and door decor contest, along with other festive activities. Just look at the pictures and you can tell it was a blast!
The Romero lab had the best costume and the Mathis lab had the best decor, but I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all!
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P&A Christmas Party and Potluck |
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We celebrated the holidays the best way we knew how, with a Department Potluck and Party. These two parties included great food, lots of gifts and lots of laughs! |
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Congratulations to the Drs. Cunningham! Mark and Ahfiya were married on December 3, 2022. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with laughter and memories. |
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Check out the latest news and information!
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Department of Physiology & Anatomy |
UNT Health Science Center | 817-735-2000 |
817-735-5084 | dept.physio@unthsc.edu
STAY CONNECTED
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2023 P&A Communications Committee:
Beatriz "Angie" Castillo
Nicole Crowe
Viet Dinh
Lauren Gonzales
Keisa Mathis
Megan Raetz
Rauchelle Richey
Cassandra Young Stubbs
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