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Megan Anne Holmes

Assistant Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health
Family Medicine and Community Health, Physician Assistant Program

Overview


Dr. Holmes is a trained anatomist and evolutionary biologist. Her research focuses on feeding behavior adaptations in primate cranial and muscular morphology. Dr. Holmes' most recent research, grant funding and publications have focused specifically  on muscle fiber phenotypes in primate chewing muscles. Dr. Holmes is the Course Director and main instructor for the Physician Assistant Gross Anatomy Course and Lab. She also co-coordinates the PA Practice and the Health Systems course, pulling on her anthropological background to organize learning on health disparities. As an educator, she is passionate about making the learning environment and academia at large equitable and inclusive for her students and colleagues.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health · 2021 - Present Family Medicine and Community Health, Physician Assistant Program, Family Medicine and Community Health

Recent Publications


A (Bite) Force to Be Reckoned With.

Journal Article Am J Biol Anthropol · October 2025 OBJECTIVES: Bite force has received significant attention in biological anthropology, but maximum bite force estimates for a single primate species often span hundreds of newtons. In this synthesis, we discuss the definitions of maximum bite force, review ... Full text Link to item Cite

Ontogenetic Changes in Feeding Behaviors in Tufted Capuchins.

Journal Article Am J Biol Anthropol · August 2025 OBJECTIVES: Wild juvenile capuchins exhibit lower feeding success than adults, particularly for mechanically challenging foods, but ontogenetic changes in oral food processing behaviors related to this reduced success are unknown. We test how oral food pro ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Jaw-Muscle Structure and Function in Primates: Insights Into Muscle Performance and Feeding-System Behaviors.

Journal Article Evol Anthropol · March 2025 Featured Publication The jaw-adductor muscles drive the movements and forces associated with primate feeding behaviors such as biting and chewing as well as social signaling behaviors such as wide-mouth canine display. The past several decades have seen a rise in research aime ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Collaborative Research: Feeding ontogeny at the interface of behavior and morphology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2020 - 2025

Function and Evolution of Jaw-Muscle Fiber Type in Primates

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Touro University · 2016 - 2022

An Anatomic and Radiologic Study to Define the Source and Course of the Articular Branches to the Thoracic Zygapophysial Joints

ResearchLab Research Analyst I · Awarded by Spine Intervention Society · 2017 - 2017

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Education, Training & Certifications


Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine · 2015 Ph.D.