Rachel Menegaz

Rachel Menegaz is an Associate Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, affiliated with the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences and the Department of Physiology & Anatomy. She holds dual roles as Associate Professor in the Center for Anatomical Sciences and Assistant Professor in Physiology & Anatomy. Her research focuses on the growth and function of cranial tissues, particularly in relation to feeding biomechanics and developmental plasticity in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). She leads the Menegaz Lab, exploring how diet and early life events influence craniofacial morphology and musculoskeletal health.

Education: PhD in Anatomy from the University of Missouri (2008), BA in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Research interests include the role of collagen disorders in craniofacial development, musculoskeletal adaptations post-amputation, and the biomechanics of feeding. She has secured grants from NSF and other agencies, including a 2023 NSF grant for studying craniofacial evolution and a UNTHSC grant for OI therapy.

Awards include the Golden Apple Award for Teaching (2025) and the Chancellor's Award for Scholarly Excellence (2025). Her work has been published in journals like Anatomical Record, Journal of Experimental Biology, and Zoology.

Students and mentorship: Courtney Miller (PhD), Gwen Moores (MS), and Tooba Husain (MS) have contributed to her lab. She mentors through programs like the Summer Opportunities in Anatomy Research (SOAR).

Labs/Teams: Menegaz Lab focuses on functional morphology and craniofacial biology. Collaborators include Ravosa, Baier, and Herring, among others.