Projects per year
Personal profile
Area of Expertise
My research explores the growth and function of cranial tissues, particularly the structures involved in feeding. The biomechanical demands imposed by diet are known to affect chewing behavior and joint kinematics and, over time, the growth trajectories of the craniofacial skeleton and its associated soft tissues. By modulating diet, we are able to affect the overall growth of these tissues, bone quality in the jaws, integrity of the jaw joint (TMJ), dental occlusion, and masticatory muscle structure. I am particularly interested in how early life history events (such as weaning and dental eruption/replacement) affect feeding, growth, and adult morphological outcomes.
Current research themes include:
1) Variation in maturation rates among tissues of the masticatory complex and how this affects feeding performance and plasticity. What happens during the transition between infant-like suckling and adult-like chewing, and what are the structural and behavioral constraints that limit efficient feeding during early childhood?
2) The role of type I collagen in the growth of the craniofacial skeleton. How do collagen disorders, such as osteogenesis imperfecta, affect the facial phenotype? What behavioral and/or pharmaceutical interventions are effective in recovering the phenotype and function in these disorders?
Current research themes include:
1) Variation in maturation rates among tissues of the masticatory complex and how this affects feeding performance and plasticity. What happens during the transition between infant-like suckling and adult-like chewing, and what are the structural and behavioral constraints that limit efficient feeding during early childhood?
2) The role of type I collagen in the growth of the craniofacial skeleton. How do collagen disorders, such as osteogenesis imperfecta, affect the facial phenotype? What behavioral and/or pharmaceutical interventions are effective in recovering the phenotype and function in these disorders?
Education/Academic qualification
PhD in Anatomy, University of Missouri
BA in Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin
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Projects
- 1 Finished
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Summer Opportunities in Anatomy Research (SOAR) Program
Menegaz, R., Maddux, S. & Muchlinski, M.
American Association of Anatomists
1/05/19 → 31/05/21
Project: Research
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A review of musculoskeletal adaptations in individuals following major lower-limb amputation
Finco, M. G., Kim, S., Ngo, W. & Menegaz, R. A., Jun 2022, In: Journal of Musculoskeletal Neuronal Interactions. 22, 2, p. 269-283 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
2 Scopus citations -
Skeletal asymmetries in anatomical donors with lower-limb amputations
Finco, M. G. & Menegaz, R. A., Mar 2022, In: PM and R. 14, 3, p. 406-408 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
More Challenging Diets Sustain Feeding Performance: Applications Toward the Captive Rearing of Wildlife
Rex Mitchell, D., Wroe, S., Ravosa, M. J. & Menegaz, R. A., 2021, In: Integrative Organismal Biology. 3, 1, obab030.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
Novel variant of hepatic and foregut vasculature
Garcia, L. M., Hubbard, D. A., Mebane, N. B., Nguyen, S. M., Ozguc, F. M. & Menegaz, R. A., Sep 2021, In: Translational Research in Anatomy. 24, 100135.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Craniofacial allometry in the OIM−/− mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta
Menegaz, R. A., Ladd, S. H. & Organ, J. M., 1 Aug 2020, In: FASEB Journal. 34, 8, p. 10850-10859 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations