Roxanne Larsen, PhD

Education and research are integral aspects of my professional life and are components of my long-term career path. I firmly believe that an educator must be aware of and attentive to how learners understand, integrate, and apply information. Not only do I have interests in the scholarship of teaching and learning, I also continue to be involved in basic science research. I have found that my diverse teaching interests (e.g., anatomy, microanatomy, neuroanatomy, physiology) profoundly inform my research, and that my research enhances my abilities to educate. My basic science research has broadly focused on structure and function relationships – sports biomechanics, mammalian genetics and species diversity, as well as molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration. Current and ongoing research projects include studies of: limb mechanics and gaze; mitochondrial dysfunction; and educational interventions (e.g., radiological anatomy, quantifying anatomical variation).

• Certificate in Health Professions Education and Teaching Program – Duke Academy for Health Professions Education and Academic Development, 2017
• UMN College of Veterinary Medicine Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award – for outstanding achievement and dedication in the field of Veterinary Medicine (2019)
• UMN College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department Outstanding Veterinary Teacher Award (2018-19)

Research Interests: Human movement science; gait analysis; biomechanics of locomotion; functional morphology; structure and function of mammals; neurodegenerative disorders, genetics, evolution, and systematics of mammals.

Research Summary: Since joining the University, I have continued research in mammalian evolution and neurodegenerative disorders (including Alzheimer’s disease in humans and Chronic Wasting Disease in cervids). Additionally, I continue to investigate the biomechanics of running in humans and other mammals from a functional and evolutionary perspective via kinematic and kinetic data. This research primarily focuses on running across uneven terrain and the mechanical strategies bipeds and quadrupeds use to navigate such terrain. I also have experience in more generalized sports biomechanics, including the use of electromyography and gaze trackers.