Anatomy Research Seminars

Fall 2025

Why medical practitioners should be scientists and not mechanics
Benjamin Auerbach, PhD
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Friday, September 12, 11:00 am

Summer 2025

Health on the water: The seasonal ecology of nutrition and illness in a Bangladeshi fishing community
Monica Keith, PhD
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University
Thursday, July 31, 1:00 pm

MS Practicum Defense: Surface area vs. composition – Development of a CT segmentation protocol for investigating human hand variability
Joanna Bui,  UNT Health
Wednesday, July 23, 1:00 pm

Spring 2025

MS Practicum Defense: The effects of bisphosphonate and exercise treatment on craniofacial morphology in a mouse model of Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Gwen Moores,  UNT Health
Monday, April 7, 10:00 am

PhD Dissertation Defense: Musculoskeletal craniofacial evolution & developmental plasticity during early life oral motor development
Courtney Miller,  UNT Health
Thursday, April 3, 1:00 pm

MS Thesis Defense: Investigating variation in human body composition – A comparison of CT and DEXA imaging modalities
Caroline Counts,  UNT Health
Wednesday, March 26, 1:00 pm

MS Practicum Defense: Core vs. shell – Experimentally investigating relationships between central body and peripheral skin temperatures in different climatic conditions
Raul Tejada Figueroa,  UNT Health
Monday, March 24, 10:00 am

Fall 2024

Digital pair-matching based on a mesh-to-mesh comparison of 3D images
Yangseung Jeong,  Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Tuesday, October 8, 12:00 pm

Summer 2024

PhD Proposal Defense: No One Nose – Reevaluating the role of the respiratory system in human thermoregulation
Baonhu Tran,  UNT Health
Monday, August 5, 10:00 am

Evolutionary population genetic approaches to study modern human skeletal variation
An-Di Yim, PhD, Forensic Sciences Program, George Mason University
Thursday, July 18, 12:30 pm

Life history tradeoffs between childhood growth and immune function among Shuar forager-horticulturalists of Amazonian Ecuador
Josh Snodgrass, PhD, Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon
Thursday, July 11, 3:30 pm

Ontogenetic change in predicted blood flow rates to the brain in humans and chimpanzees
Arianna Harrington, PhD, Department of Biology, Southern Utah University
Monday, July 8, 11:00 am

Do the math or someone will do it for you: Race, racism, variation, and the prospect of precision medicine
Charles Roseman, PhD, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Monday, July 1, 11:00 am

Does Skeletal Maturation Influence Outcomes Following Vertebral Body Tethering?
Melanie Boeyer, PhD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Missouri
Tuesday, June 25, 3:00 pm

Spring 2024

Cervical intradiscal pressure considerations for rehabilitation in supine postures: A cadaveric investigation
Marc Crawford, PT, PhD, Department of Physical Therapy, UNT Health
Thursday, April 4, 1:00 pm

MS Practicum Defense: ADAM19 and ADAMS4 expression in human optic nerve head astrocytes
Tony Easo,  UNT Health
Wednesday, April 3, 9:00 am

MS Practicum Defense: Assessment of digit skin temperatures via infrared thermography under different climatic conditions
Chloe Boettger,  UNT Health
Tuesday, April 2, 12:00 pm

PhD Dissertation Defense: Investigating the link between gross anatomy and ultrasound education: Implications for students learning clinical anatomy
Taylor Robertson,  UNT Health
Monday, April 1, 1:00 pm

Anthropological trauma research in a medical examiner setting
Christopher Rainwater, PhD, Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office
Monday, March 11, 11:00 am

Beyond Bones: Hip functional morphology in hominins and clinical pelvic reaction cases
Rebecca Cook, Duke University
Tuesday, February 6, 2:00 pm

Effects of hip joint orientation and skeletal torsion on human locomotion
Austin Lawrence, PhD,  University of Chicago
Tuesday, January 30, 11:00 am

Bridging prosthetic research and clinical practice
Graci Finco, PhD, CPO, Baylor College of Medicine
Wednesday, January 24, 11:00 am
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Summer 2023

Uses of cortical bone histology in forensic anthropology
Christian Crowder, PhD,  Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office
Friday, June 23, 1:00 pm
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Functional anatomy of primate bipedalism
Neysa Grider-Potter, PhD,  UT Health San Antonio
Wednesday, May 24, 2:00 pm
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Spring 2023
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PhD Education Seminar: Biomechanics and functional anatomy of the shoulder
Indya Thompson, UNT Health
Wednesday, May 3, 10:00 am.

Biomechanics research to improve understanding and clinical management of patellofemoral pain
Lee Atkins, PT, PhD,  UNT Health
Monday, April 10, 12:00 pm
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PhD Dissertation Defense: Quantifying student satisfaction and academic performance: A comparison of four active learning techniques in an online, asynchronous, graduate anatomy course
Libby Bradley, UNT Health
Thursday, April 6, 11:00 am
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PhD Dissertation Defense: The interactive influence of climate and energetics on human nasal morphology
Alexa Kelly, UNT Health
Wednesday, April 5, 9:00 am
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Behavioral responses to environmental manipulation: what can extant primates tell us about arboreal adaptation in early primates?
Bern Perchalski, PhD,  UNT Health
Wednesday, March 22, 12:00 pm
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Climate and variation in modern human skeletal anatomy
Elizabeth Cho, PhD,  UNT Health
Tuesday, February 21, 10:00 am
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Functional signals in the platyrrhine dentognathic complex with implications for the primate fossil record
Zachary Klukkert, PhD,  University of Central Michigan
Tuesday, February 7, 11:00 am
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Health consequences at the intersection of urbanization and climate change: Sex differences in mortality risk from 13th to 18th century Berlin
Emily Brennan,  University of South Carolina
Wednesday, January 25, 1:30 pm
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Fall 2022
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MS Proposal Defense: A novel staining and scanning methodology for visualizing skeletal and soft tissues using micro-CT
Javan Stalls,  UNT Health
Tuesday, November 29, 2:00 pm
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PhD Dissertation Defense: Does Diversity Matter?  Disparities in diagnostic delays and contralateral risk factors with slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Maureen Purcell, UNT Health
Wednesday, November 9, 12:00 pm
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The ins and outs of skull bone growth: Bone biomechanics and phenotypic variation in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta
Courtney Miller, UNT Health
Wednesday, November 2, 12 pm
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PhD Dissertation Defense: Quantifying musculoskeletal and biomechanical symmetry in individuals with lower-limb amputation: A step towards assessing injury and fall risk
Graci Finco, UNT Health
Tuesday, October 9, 12:00 pm
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Spring/Summer 2022
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Simulating the past: Musculoskeletal modeling in paleoanthropology
Adam Sylvester, PhD, John Hopkins University
Thursday, August 11, 12:00 pm
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Learning from 200 years of Mendel: Lessons from genophagy to GWAS
Charles Roseman, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Monday, August 8, 11:00 am
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Evolutionary and health implications of brown fat activity in Samoan adults
Alexandra Niclou, PhD, University of Notre Dame
Thursday, August 4, 12:00 pm
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PhD Proposal Defense: Musculoskeletal craniofacial evolution & developmental plasticity during early life oral motor development
Courtney Miller,  UNT Health
Wednesday, June 22, 12:00 pm
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MS Practicum Defense: Ultrasound massage to decrease anesthetic spread in supraclavicular blocks: A cadaveric study
Taylor Coffman,  UNT Health
Tuesday, June 21, 1:00 pm
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PhD Proposal Defense: Quantification of learning transfer: The relationship between gross anatomy knowledge and ultrasound imaging
Taylor Robertson,  UNT Health
Monday, June 20, 2:00 pm
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Was there a sensory trade-off in primate evolution?
Eva Garrett, PhD, Boston University
Tuesday, June 6, 10:30 am
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Evolutionary adaptations: Research during Covid
Kate Lesciotto, PhD, Sam Houston State University COM
Tuesday, May 13, 9:00 am
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PhD Dissertation Defense: Three-Dimensional variation in maxillary sinus anatomy: Implications for health disparities in sinonasal disease
Suhhyun ‘Sarah’ Kim,  UNT Health
Tuesday, March 29, 9:00 am
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Fall 2021
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MS Research Proposal Defense: CT-based assessment of lower limb surface area, volume, and tissue composition: Implications for ecogeographic rules of thermoregulation
Clay Carey,  UNT Health
Friday, December 3, 1:00 pm
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Functional outcomes in COPD: Synthesis of basic and clinical research
Jenna Yentes, PhD, Texas A&M University
Friday, November 19, 11:00 am
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What small teeth you have! How domestication turned big animals into small pets
Emma Handler, PhD, UNT Health
Friday, November 12, 7:00 pm
“DFW Tap Talks – Science Distilled” speaker series
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
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MS Research Proposal Defense: Dental developmental differences in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta
Jake Moore,  UNT Health
Thursday, November 11, 11:00 am
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Doctor of Philosophy: Your gateway to research
Barrett Cromeens, DO/PhD, Indiana University
Thursday, November 11, 12:00 pm
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MS Research Proposal Defense: Osteogenesis Imperfecta: An analysis of the middle and inner ear development in Mus musculus (house mouse) with comments on hearing quality
Milo Huston,  UNT Health
Friday, October 22, 1:00 pm
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MS Research Proposal Defense: Neurocranial Growth in the OIM Mouse Model of Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Tooba Husain,  UNT Health
Wednesday, September 22, 10:00 am
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Spring 2021
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How does natural selection walk and chew gum at the same time?
Michael Granatosky, PhD, New York Institute of Technology
Thursday, April 29, 1:00 pm (Online seminar)
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PhD Education Seminar:  The biomechanics and evolution of gait
Libby Bradley, UNT Health (Reeves Lab)
Monday, Monday 26, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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PhD Research Proposal Defense:  Lower-limb symmetry in individuals with unilateral amputations: Using anatomical and biomechanical techniques to inform clinical practice
Graci Finco, UNT Health (Patterson Lab)
Thursday, April 22, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Digital anthropology down under: CT-based investigations of the biology and behavior of ancient Australians
Arthur Durband, PhD, Texas Tech University
Thursday, April 15, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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MS Internship Practicum Seminar: Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment on parkinsonian gait: A statistical parametric mapping analysis
Zachary Terrell, UNT Health (Patternson Lab)
Thursday, April 8, 1:00 pm (Online seminar)
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MS Internship Practicum Seminar: The effect of tooth loss on craniofacial morphology
Andrew Su, UNT Health (Menegaz Lab)
Monday, April 5, 1:00 pm (Online seminar)
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MS Internship Practicum Seminar: Sexual dimorphism within dental microstructure
Sara Aldeeb, UNT Health (Handler Lab)
Thursday, April 1, 3:00 pm (Online seminar)
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What makes an individual more prone to knee pain and osteoarthritis?
Sarah Moudy, PhD, UNT Health
Thursday, April 1, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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MS Internship Practicum Seminar: Assessing ecogeographic variation in the nasal passages utilizing semilandmark geometric morphometrics
Lyndee Higgs Ward, UNT Health (Maddux Lab)
Tuesday, March 30, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Functional morphology of large-bodied fossil Cercopithecidae in the Plio-Pleistocene
Monya Anderson, PhD, Texas A&M University
Thursday, March 25, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Skeletal and metabolic effects of cold exposure and high fat/high protein diet in growing mice
Maureen Devlin, PhD, University of Michigan
Thursday, March 18, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Using contrast-enhanced microCT to explore brain and skull development
Kate Lesciotto, PhD, Sam Houston State University
Thursday, March 11, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Fall 2020
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From legs to locomotor function: How limb properties set running speed limits
Peter Weyand, PhD, Southern Methodist University
Thursday, December 3, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Without a net: Novel approaches to enhancing musculoskeletal mechanics and communicating science
Jason Organ, PhD, Indiana University
Friday, November 20, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Skeletal muscle rate of force development: functional relevance, mechanisms, and training
Neale Tillin, PhD, University of Roehampton
Thursday, November 12, 11:00 am (Online seminar)
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External shape variation of extant and fossil hominid calcanei
Christine Harper, PhD, John Hopkins University
Thursday, November 5, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Bone morphology and behavior: new perspectives from hominins and canids
Habiba Chirchir, PhD, Marshall University
Thursday, October 29, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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Innovations in virtual and living anatomy
Darren Hoffmann, PhD, University of Iowa
Thursday, October 22, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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3D Geometric morphometrics in R statistics – workshops 3 & 4
Rex Mitchell, PhD, UNT Health
Thursday, October 1 & 8, 12:00 pm (Online training workshops)
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Variation in craniodental pathologies among cercopithecoid primates
Claire Kirchhoff, PhD, Marquette University
Friday, September 25, 12:00 pm (Online seminar)
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3D Geometric morphometrics in R statistics – workshops 1 & 2
Rex Mitchell, PhD, UNT Health
Thursday, September 10 & 17, 12:00 pm (Online training workshops)
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Kinematic analysis of the mammalian tongue
Rachel Olson, PhD, Ohio University
Friday, July 24, 1:00 pm (Online seminar)

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2019-2020
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Sensory ecology, behavior, and the primate fossil record
Lauren Gonzales, Ph.D., University of South Carolina – Greenville
Tuesday, February 11, 11 am, IREB 350
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Foot and ankle functional morphology in anthropoid primates
Sharon Kuo, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Thursday, February 6, 12 pm, RES 326
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The interactive influence of climate and energetics on nasal morphology
SARS Dissertation Research Proposal Defense
Alexa Kelly, UNT Health (Maddux Lab)
Wednesday, February 5, 10 am, IREB 350
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Fingerprinting the skull: Medico-legal applications for paranasal sinus variation
Lauren Butaric, Ph.D., Des Moines University
Monday, January 13, 12 pm, LIB 110
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Bone, Biomechanics, Health and Performance
John Polk, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Thursday, January 9, 3 pm, LIB 110
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The cephalic vein – Anatomical study and evaluation of the coracoid process as topographical landmark
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Jonathan Sweeney, UNT Health (Reeves Lab)
Wednesday, November 6, 9:00 am, IREB 443
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Craniofacial morphology in juvenile mice with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Ashley Steele, UNT Health (Menegaz Lab)
Monday, November 4, 9:00 am, EAD 714
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The effect of dietary loading on physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) in rat masseters
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Jeffrey Rossiter, UNT Health (Menegaz Lab)
Thursday, October 24, 12 pm, RES 326
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How bad was a caveman’s breath? Oral health in the Paleolithic
Sarah Lacy, Ph.D., California State University – Dominguez Hills
Monday, August 12, 12 pm, RES 326.

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2018-2019
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The effect of behavioral evolution on dental size
Emma Wood, M.A., University of Iowa
Thursday, July 11, 12 pm, RES 218
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Medical education research: Getting started, involving students, getting published
Sarah Keim Janssen, Ph.D., Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Monday, June 3, 12 pm, RES 114
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Homo naledi: A view from Rising Star Cave
Becca Peixotto, Ph.D., Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX
Thursday, June 6, 12 pm, LIB 110.
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The science of education
Ruthanne Thompson, Ph.D., UNT-Denton
Friday, May 10, 12 pm, RES 326
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Beyond morphology: Using molecular ecology to explore variation and evolution of the senses
Carrie Veilleux, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Friday, December 14, 2018, 12 pm, RES 218
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The combined effects of climate and body mass on nasal morphology
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Alexa Kelly, UNT Health (Maddux Lab)
Friday, December 7, 2018, 12 pm, RES 326
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Nasal morphology and respiratory health
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Suhhyun ‘Sarah’ Kim, UNT Health (Maddux Lab)
Friday, December 7, 2018, 12:30 pm, RES 326
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Physiological and behavioral mechanisms for inhabiting a range of high altitude climates
Cara Ocobock, Ph.D., University at Albany, SUNY
Friday, November 16, 2018, 12 pm, RES 326
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Lactate: More than a metabolic intermediate?
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Holden Hemingway, UNT Health
Friday, November 16, 2018, 12 pm, RES 326
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Cold adaptation and the Neanderthal face
Todd Yokley, Ph.D., Metropolitan State University – Denver
Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 12 pm, RES 326
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Investigating the relationship between primate diet and innervation using diceCT.
Caitlin Yoakum, University of Arkansas
Thursday, September 20, 2018, 12 pm, RES 218
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Craniofacial bone mineral density in Osteogenesis Imperfecta
SARS Work in Progress (WIP) Seminar
Alexandra McBride, UNT Health (Menegaz Lab)
Friday, September 7, 2018, 12 pm, RES 326