معرفی
Leigha M Lynch serves as Assistant Professor of Anatomy at Midwestern University, holding concurrent appointments across five academic units: College of Veterinary Medicine, Arizona College of Optometry, College of Dental Medicine-Arizona, College of Graduate Studies-Arizona, and College of Health Sciences-Glendale. Her interdisciplinary role bridges anatomical sciences with veterinary, dental, and optometric education.
Dr. Lynch earned her B.S. from Bowling Green State University (2009), M.S. from East Tennessee State University (2012), and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (2018). Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, she joined Midwestern University in 2020.
Her research centers on evolutionary drivers of morphological variation in carnivorans, particularly mustelids like pine martens and river otters. Using 3D imaging, geometric morphometrics, genetic sequencing, and phylogenetic comparative methods, she investigates how environmental pressures, dietary shifts, and historical climate events shape anatomical evolution across temporal scales from fossil specimens to contemporary populations. This work integrates paleontological evidence with molecular data to reconstruct evolutionary trajectories.
Publication analysis reveals consistent focus on carnivoran neuroanatomy, musculoskeletal adaptations, and climate-driven morphological variation. Key themes include brain size evolution relative to environmental variables, hypercarnivore cranial specializations, and intraspecific limb bone variation across geographic ranges. Methodologically, her work bridges traditional anatomical analysis with computational approaches like deep learning for micro-CT segmentation.
Teaching responsibilities encompass advanced human anatomy and embryology courses across multiple health science programs, including Gross Anatomy/Embryology (ANATG 1551-1553) with laboratory components. Her pedagogical approach integrates research methodologies into anatomical education, emphasizing practical applications for clinical practice.