Gathering place

There will be some familiar faces at this year’s American Association of Anatomists regional meeting, which will occur at TAMBCD.

On Oct. 12, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry will serve as the venue for the regional meeting of the American Association of Anatomists. Drawing more than 120 attendees from throughout the Southwest and beyond, the meeting’s location speaks to the depth of expertise at the dental school, says the association’s president, Dr. Lynne Opperman, who is director of TAMBCD’s Office of Technology Development and a professor in biomedical sciences.

Each year, members request potential meeting locations, says Opperman, and the agenda is not planned around the current president. This upcoming meeting, while featuring numerous TAMBCD-affiliated speakers and leaders, is attracting faculty participation and student presentations from throughout a multi-state area. TAMBCD’s own Dr. Jerry Feng, professor in biomedical sciences, is presenting the keynote address. Dr. Kathy Svoboda, Regents Professor in biomedical sciences and past president of AAA, chairs the organizing committee.

This year’s speakers and their topics include:

• Opperman – welcome address
• Svoboda – “Careers in Anatomy”
• Dr. Robert Spears – “Qualifications for Anatomical Teaching:  Credentials Necessary for Accreditation” `
• Dr. Jason Mussell, Louisiana State University – Branding: It’s Not Just for Cattle Anymore; The Double-edged Sword of Social Media and Academia
• Dr. Bonnie Bloom – “Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore: Dentistry in Zoo and Companion Animals”
• Dr. Diane Flint – “Head and Neck Anatomy in 3 Dimensions”
• Dr. Elisabeth Widle, Baylor College of Medicine – “Patterns of Injury in Head Trauma Detectable via Neuroimaging”
• Dr. Jian “Jerry” Feng, keynote – “The Life and Fate of Osteocytes in Health And Disease”
• Dr. Geoffrey Guttmann, University of North Texas Health Science Center – workshop
• Dr. Vaughan Lee, Texas Tech – workshop
• Dr. Diane Chico, Texas A&M College of Medicine – workshop

More than 120 people are expected to attend the event, which begins at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. During the meeting, undergraduate and graduate students will compete for $1,200 in oral and poster awards, and the day will also feature lectures, workshops and networking opportunities. The evening concludes with a keynote address from Feng, professor in biomedical sciences, followed by student award presentations and a closing reception.