Meet our department’s dedicated faculty and staff.
Learn more about our department’s research.
Learn more about educational training in the biomedical sciences.
A community of educators who teach the anatomical sciences.
Check here for a listing of upcoming seminars and presentations.
The Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology is committed to fulfilling our threefold mission of education, research, and service through innovation, collaboration and teaching excellence. ACB is the home department for the Joint Health NIH T32 training grant.
We have a strong devotion to educating the physicians, researchers and health professionals of tomorrow. Our faculty are responsible for overseeing and delivering curricula in the anatomical sciences, which includes gross anatomy, histology, embryology and neuroscience. The human anatomy laboratory is a hallmark of the department that offers hands-on experiential learning ― a timeless mode of instruction fundamental to the training of the health professions.
Our award-winning faculty conduct basic biomedical research primarily in the areas of bone and cartilage biology, regenerative medicine, orthopedics, bone cancer, biomechanics and osteoarthritis. Our laboratories support a variety of projects ranging in scope from cell and tissue culture work to experimental surgery and studies on biomechanics and gait. Interdisciplinary research is an integral component of the institutional culture as evidenced by close ties between our department and faculty in orthopedics, biochemistry and rheumatology.
We also participates in a variety of institutional and community service projects, including promoting science education throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
Dr. Wilson in Dr. Sumner’s lab won the first place for the Postdoctoral Platform Presentation Award (sponsored by Developmental Dynamics) at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy.
The title of her presentation was “Mineral Metabolism Markers in a Pig Model of Preterm Birth Mimic Clinical Findings”
The co-authors on the paper included Martin Rasmussen, Thomas Thymann and Per Sangild (all of the University of Copenhagen) and D. Rick Sumner (Rush).
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy (Anatomy Connected 2023) had over 1,000 attendees and was held in Washington, D.C. on March 25-27. This meeting is the world’s largest gathering of anatomical science researchers and educators.
Photo Legend:
Dr. Brittany Wilson with her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Rick Sumner at the Anatomy Connected 2023 awards ceremony.
Photo Legend:
Illinois Advocacy Team: Frank Ko, PhD (Right) and Joe Cheatwood, PhD, Chair of Anatomy at Southern Illinois University (Left). Not pictured Frank Krause, MBA, FASEB Executive Director.
Arnold Olali, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2022 ASBMR Underrepresented Minority Mentorship Awards.
2022 Graduate College Awards
•The John E. Trufant, EdD Award for Excellence in Graduate College Research – Kelsey A. Carpenter
•The Graduate College Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service – Sarah Jean Calhoun
•Rush University Diversity and Inclusion Award – Arnold Z. Olali
•Mentor of the Year Award – Ryan Ross, PhD
•Teacher of the Year – Carl Maki, PhD
Congratulations! Read More and See Some Photos.
He also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003744
Dr. Ryan Ross has been named as 2021 Mentee of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as 2021 Mentor of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
Dr. Wilson in Dr. Sumner’s lab won the first place for the Postdoctoral Platform Presentation Award (sponsored by Developmental Dynamics) at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy.
The title of her presentation was “Mineral Metabolism Markers in a Pig Model of Preterm Birth Mimic Clinical Findings”
The co-authors on the paper included Martin Rasmussen, Thomas Thymann and Per Sangild (all of the University of Copenhagen) and D. Rick Sumner (Rush).
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy (Anatomy Connected 2023) had over 1,000 attendees and was held in Washington, D.C. on March 25-27. This meeting is the world’s largest gathering of anatomical science researchers and educators.
Photo Legend:
Dr. Brittany Wilson with her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Rick Sumner at the Anatomy Connected 2023 awards ceremony.
Photo Legend:
Illinois Advocacy Team: Frank Ko, PhD (Right) and Joe Cheatwood, PhD, Chair of Anatomy at Southern Illinois University (Left). Not pictured Frank Krause, MBA, FASEB Executive Director.
Arnold Olali, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Ross Lab, recently received one of the 2022 ASBMR Underrepresented Minority Mentorship Awards.
2022 Graduate College Awards
•The John E. Trufant, EdD Award for Excellence in Graduate College Research – Kelsey A. Carpenter
•The Graduate College Dean’s Award for Leadership and Service – Sarah Jean Calhoun
•Rush University Diversity and Inclusion Award – Arnold Z. Olali
•Mentor of the Year Award – Ryan Ross, PhD
•Teacher of the Year – Carl Maki, PhD
Congratulations! Read More and See Some Photos.
He also published a first author paper this year:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328221003744
Dr. Ryan Ross has been named as 2021 Mentee of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as 2021 Mentor of the Year Rush Mentoring Programs. Read More.
Kirsten Moisio, PT, PhD, who is now an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, received the 2021 Illinois Physical Therapy Association Outstanding Academic Educator Award. The IPTA strives to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life for the people in Illinois through physical therapy. Dr. Moisio also recently received a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation research grant to develop an innovative gross anatomy teaching tool. Kirsten earned her PhD with Dr. Rick Sumner in our department in 2002, before moving to Northwestern where she has been the primary anatomy teacher in their highly ranked Physical Therapy program ever since. She also continues to publish in the field of osteoarthritis. Congratulations to Kirsten!
Dr. Rick Sumner has been named as a 2021 Fellow of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). He will be honored on Monday, February 15, 2021 by the Orthopaedic Research Society as part of their ORS 2021 virtual Annual Meeting.
ORS Fellows are selected by the ORS Board of Directors and represent longstanding members of the ORS who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership, substantial achievement, expert knowledge, and significant contributions to the ORS, its governance, and the field of musculoskeletal research. Fellows are thought leaders and experts in their respective disciplines and serve as role models in the ORS community and in the field of musculoskeletal research exemplifying the core values of the Society.
Dr. Sumner has been a member of the ORS since 1984 and served in various roles, including President in 2017-2018.
Rush Stories: Rick Sumner, PhD, Named a 2021 Fellow of Orthopaedic Research Society. Read More.
The spotlight seminar series was introduced to allow ASBMR members to share their research with other members and encourage discussion and collaboration between members at all career levels.
Ahmad Othman, PhD student in Dr. Pratap’s lab, will be presenting his recent work on the role of Runx2 in promoting microtubule stability and autophagy in bone metastatic breast cancer cells on November 5th at 3pm EST. He did want to make one comment though, the bone field has several diverse specialties (development, disease, cancer) within it and these types of events help gain valuable insight from people with very different research backgrounds than your own. The feedback he has received from the ASBMR conferences has been very helpful in moving their project forward. Here is the link for those who would like to register for this upcoming session along with future sessions.
Welcome to Dr. Amy Beresheim who joined the department in August. Dr. Beresheim will be teaching anatomy to students in Rush Medical College, the Graduate College and the College of Health Sciences. She has research interests in bone biology.
Congratulations on their promotions!
Frank Ko, PhD to Assistant Professor
Carl Maki, PhD to Professor
Jitesh Pratap, PhD to Associate Professor
Congrats, Kelsey Carpenter!
Her JBMR article was highlighted in XLH News Today.
Halo Cures named Meghan Moran, PhD, assistant professor, cell and molecular medicine, Rush Medical College, to its 40 Under 40 Chicago Scientists list. Moran is researching molecular interactions between the gut, gut microbiome and bone as a mechanistic pathway to delaying or mitigating arthroplasty failure due to peri-implant particle-induced osteolysis. Moran hopes her research could decrease the need for revision surgeries by offering a non-invasive treatment for failed implants.
With help from a new NIH grant, Jeffrey A. Borgia, PhD is trying to develop a blood test that can detect lung cancer in its early, more treatable stage.