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Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.
OU-COM’s integrated systems approach to anatomy culminates
with O’Connor’s neurological anatomy lab. “With neurology,
we bring all the systems together in the context of the
nervous system,” O’Connor says.
“I tell them, ‘in the
cardiovascular block, Dr. Eastman talked about X; let’s find
out how the brain controls that.’”
In
his research, O’Connor seeks connections across species and
over millennia. He focuses primarily on birds and
reptiles—both modern and prehistoric. In fact, his team
recently discovered new species of extinct crocodiles in
Tanzania.
“Ancient Southern Hemisphere is where crocodilian diversity
really took off: aquatic, terrestrial, large, small,” he
says, adding that the new species are very different from
the crocodiles we know today.
Although his ancient studies focus on the late-Mesozoic era
(near the end of the dinosaur age), O’Connor’s research
questions also span the full range of modern birds. His
current collaborations focus on skeletal adaptations in
everything from hummingbirds to penguins.
“Birds are extremely diverse … from a tiny little
hummingbird all the way up to an ostrich,” he says. “Some
chase fish underwater. Some plunge-dive from 100 feet in the
air and splash into the water. Some soar. We see skeletal
modifications related to all of these different behaviors.”
Susan Williams,
Ph.D
[1]
[2]
[3] [4]
[5] [6]
[7] [8]
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Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.
website |
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ANATOMISTS |
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Lawrence Witmer, Ph.D.
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Robert Staron, Ph.D |
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Nancy Stevens,Ph.D. |
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Joe Eastman, Ph.D |
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Audrone Biknevicius,
Ph.D |
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Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D |
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Susan Williams,
Ph.D |
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SIDEBAR STORY |
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Anatomy “immersion”
Witmer directs the August Osteopathic Clinical Anatomy
Orientation, or “immersion,” which was developed about five
years ago by a committee of anatomists. During the
immersion, students spend their first month of medical
school deep in anatomical instruction, split between the
state-of-the-art gross anatomy and osteopathic manipulative
medicine (OMM) labs.
“We
were really given free reign with developing the immersion,”
said O’Connor, who chaired the committee. “It’s a very
innovative program. We looked at our strengths and we found
that OMM training perfectly complemented musculoskeletal
anatomy. And we work in an introduction to basic
assessment.”
With this restructuring of medical education came better
instructional technology. The group lobbied for audio-visual
technology, and now the lab is equipped with microphones and
wide flat screens that enable instructors to demonstrate
skills and display anatomical structures without forcing
students to wait or crowd around one cadaver.
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