Roxanne Larsen, PhD
Assistant Professor,

Contact Info
Assistant Professor
PhD, Biology, Texas Tech University
MS, Biology, South Dakota State University
BS, Biology, South Dakota State University
Postdoctoral Associate, Duke University
Summary
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).
Awards & Recognition
Research
Research Summary/Interests
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.
Teaching
Academic Interests and Focus
Teaching Areas
DVM
Courses
- CVM 6008, Integrated Physiology
- CVM 6900 Microscopic Anatomy I
- CVM 6901 Physiology I
- CVM 6903 Anatomy I
- CVM 6908 Anatomy II
Media
In The News
To learn more about Dr. Roxanne Larsen's Research and Teaching, please check out the VBS website write up, "Profile on VBS Assistant Professor Roxanne Larsen."