معرفی
Varna Taranikanti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Foundational Medical Studies at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), where she joined in June 2018. She serves as the systems director for integrating anatomy with clinical sciences and teaches all disciplines of anatomy—including gross, embryology, histology, and neuroanatomy—to first- and second-year medical students (M1/M2).
She holds advanced degrees including an MBBS (M.D.), a Master of Surgery in Clinical Anatomy, and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Her international academic experience includes roles as Assistant Professor and Phase-II Director at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, and faculty positions at OMC Sohar. She completed specialized training as a clinical anatomist with over 16 years of experience in medical education and surgical anatomy instruction.
Dr. Taranikanti is deeply committed to innovative medical education, having contributed to curriculum and examination committees, implemented Team-Based Learning (TBL), flipped classrooms, and simulation-based learning. She has developed anatomical teaching resources using plastination, electron microscopy, and is currently exploring 3D printing applications in anatomy through medical imaging. Her research interests span curriculum design, assessment methodologies, integration of anatomy with clinical skills, and translational research in breast cancer, particularly focusing on GRP78 and endoplasmic stress response during adjuvant chemotherapy.
Her scholarly work has been recognized through several awards, including the AAA best research poster award, Dr. Mahdi Hassan Gold Medal, Best Teacher award at SQU, and the AACR-Avon Foundation International Grant. She has secured internal university grants and has published in leading peer-reviewed journals in both medical education and oncology.
- UICC Fellowship, JWCI, Santa Monica, California (2002)
- ICRETT Fellow, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
Dr. Taranikanti has supervised cadaveric dissections, conducted integrated workshops for clinical relevance, and trained residents during surgical ward rounds. She continues to advance interdisciplinary teaching and research, bridging foundational sciences with clinical practice at OUWB.
