Teresa Patitucci

Teresa Patitucci, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Her academic career spans both teaching and research, with secondary appointments in the School of Pharmacy and extramural teaching roles at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. She has served as Course Director for multiple anatomy courses in MCW's Discovery Curriculum and directs community education initiatives through plastination programs.

• Education: BS in Biology (2008), PhD in Cell Biology (2016) from MCW
• Certifications: Neuroanatomy & Head/Neck Anatomy from American Association of Anatomists

Her research focuses on Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) neurobiology, particularly astrocyte-motor neuron interactions and iPSC disease modeling. She has pioneered educational innovations in cultural competence training and reflective practice for medical students, evidenced by her 2024 WMJ publication on skin tone attitudes in preclinical education. Her work bridges basic science with medical humanities, incorporating arts-based teaching methods.

Publications demonstrate expertise in SMA pathogenesis (7 articles 2013-2017), influenza diagnostic development (2009-2010), and medical education reform (2019-2024). Key themes include non-cell-autonomous disease mechanisms, neural stem cell culture systems, and curriculum innovations for professional identity formation.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Outstanding Medical Student Teacher (4x)
  • Learning Resource Innovation Award (2020-2021)
  • Harry Beckman Basic Science Teaching Award (2021-2022)
  • Graduate Student Fellowship (2012-2016)

Mentorship includes supervising postdoctoral researchers and leading grants for plastination specimen creation ($18k) and reflective writing programs ($12.55k total funding). She chairs multiple curriculum committees and directs the M2 Musculoskeletal Skin Unit.