Associate Professor of PA Medicine
Originally from nearby Danville, Virginia, Eric Schmidt obtained a PhD in Medical Science from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, where he studied craniofacial growth and mechanisms of orofacial clefting in strains of laboratory mice prone to spontaneous forms of cleft lip and palate. As a postdoctoral scholar at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, he investigated the genetic basis of osteoarthritis susceptibility. This work utilized microsurgical and histological techniques coupled with statistical genetics and gene mapping protocols, resulting in identification of several susceptibility loci in an experimental population of segregating mice. Returning to central Virginia, Dr. Schmidt joined the University of Lynchburg, bringing his research background revolving around animal models of human disease to bear on his teaching in anatomy and pathology in the School of Physician Assistant Medicine. In addition to teaching, he continues work aimed at identifying specific causal genes contributing to osteoarthritis susceptibility in mice and humans.
Education
- PhD University of Calgary
- MS University of Chicago
- BS Pennsylvania State University
Teaching Areas
- Anatomy
- Pathology
Professional Memberships
- American Association of Anatomists
- Physician Assistant Education Association
Areas of Interest
- Human genetics of complex disease traits
