I have been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine since 2022. I teach gross anatomy, neuroscience, embryology, and histology to students pursuing careers in the biomedical and health science fields. I serve as the course director for gross anatomy and neuroscience courses offered to graduate students pursuing their doctoral degrees in neuroscience, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. I also team-teach in the College of Medicine’s pre-clinical curriculum to first-year medical students in their gross anatomy and neuroscience courses. I am passionate about educating future health professionals and helping them gain the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers.
My prior research was focused on how the sleeping brain changes in the transition from childhood to adolescence, and how microstructural measures of sleep depth and integrity are associated with neurodevelopment and psychopathology in youth. To accomplish this, I collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of sleep researchers, basic neuroscientists, biostatisticians, and epidemiologists at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. My current educational research projects include improving preparatory work for active learning sessions/flipped classrooms and developing focused anatomy workshops aimed at helping medical students prepare for Board Examinations. View a list of my publications at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/anna.ricci.1/bibliography/public/.
In addition, I am involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the University of Vermont and serve on DEI committees in the College of Medicine. I am also a member of Committee for Early Career Anatomists (CECA) within AAA.