Anatomy and Vertebrate Paleontology Faculty & Staff

If you have any questions about the Anatomy and Vertebrate Paleontology program at OSU Center for Health Sciences, please contact one of faculty members.

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Holly Woodward Ballard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy
918-561-8263 | holly.ballard@okstate.edu

Research Interests

• Intra-specific ontogenetic variation in growth of extinct tetrapods using large-sample paleohistology, with a focus on non-avian dinosaurs.
• Integration of osteohistology with other techniques such as micro CT and stable isotopes to interpret the paleobiology and life history of extinct tetrapods.
• Intra-skeletal histology throughout ontogeny in both extinct and extant tetrapods.
• Increasing understanding of bone tissue microstructure in extant tetrapods for use as a foundation in paleohistological interpretations.

 

Haley O'Brien, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anatomy
Personal Website

Research Interests

• Anatomy of Cranial Vasculature
• Mammalian Thermoregulation
• Selective Brain Cooling
• Evolutionary Physiology
• Multivariate Statistics
• Phylogenetic Comparative Methods

 

Paul Gignac, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy
918-561-8265 | paul.gignac@okstate.edu| Personal Website

Research Interests

• Diffusible Iodine-based Contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (diceCT)
• Vertebrate Paleontology
• Musculoskeletal and dental biomechanics
• Phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary constraint
• Developmental, evolutionary, and functional morphology of the vertebrate head

 

Kent Smith, Ph.D., Associate Dean for the Office of American Indians in Medicine and Science, Professor of Anatomy
918-561-8246 | kent.smith@okstate.edu| Personal Website

Research Interests

• Taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of late Neogene-age mammals
• Novel anatomical variations in humans to advance surgical outcomes
• Advancing American Indians in medicine and STEM careers

 

Anne Weil, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy
918-561-8266 | anne.weil@okstate.edu

Research Interests

• Early mammalian evolution, phylogeny and biogeography of multituberculate mammals
• Terrestrial recovery after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction
• Evolutionary constraints on biotic response to extinction at large spatiotemporal scales