Dr. Alison Doubleday Focused on New Teaching Methods for Oral Biology at UIC College of Dentistry

Oct. 30, 2010 - PRLog -- With curriculum change in full swing at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Dr. Alison French Doubleday has joined the Department of Oral Biology as an Assistant Professor with the goal of incorporating new teaching methods and technologies.
   “My primary duty is to assist with instruction of the human gross anatomy course, so I help with the lectures and the lab,” she explained, noting that she works closely with Dr. Tom Lakars, Assistant Professor.
   Dr. Doubleday already has had an effect on the way gross anatomy is taught. “This year we’ve started using videos to help students review lab dissections and to provide more information and detail on what we cover in class to help them better prepare for exams,” she said.    “My goal is to push the limits of what we can do in gross anatomy and get students to learn as much material as they can and to make it relevant for their future careers.”
   One of her research focuses is on evaluation of learning resources. “We don’t want to just throw tools and resources at students, but take the time to evaluate them, make sure that they’re meeting the needs of the course while making it enjoyable for students,” she explained.
   Dr. Doubleday also performs biological research in primate skeletal biology and in the genetic basis for bone density. “I am working on a couple of projects that use molecular techniques to examine ancient DNA in order to determine relatedness among individuals at an archaeological site or to explore human migration patterns.  I am also researching genes related to bone mineral density in non-human primates, specifically the gene LRP5,” she explained. “Through that research, I want to see what we can learn about human bone mineral density.”
   Dr. Doubleday holds a BA in anthropology from James Madison University in Virginia, where she minored in Russian and Italian, and an MA and PhD in anthropology from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She was a lecturer at the Indiana University School of Medicine before joining the faculty at UIC.

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The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry awards the DMD degree and certificates and master's degrees in several dental specialities.