Patricia Anne Koplas - Queens University of Charlotte

Education
Employment
Work:
Queens University of Charlotte
1900 Selwyn Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28274
704-337-2203
koplasp@queens.edu
Patricia Anne Koplas
1995 - 1997 Duke University Durham, NC
MS, Physical Therapy
Master's Thesis: "Stage-related Psychosocial Factors and Their Impact on Quality of
Life in Parkinson's Disease"
Thesis advisor: Margaret Schenkman, PhD, Professor of Physical Therapy
1988 - 1995 The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC
PhD, Neurobiology
Dissertation: "Desensitization of the Capsaicin-Activated Current in Rat Dorsal
Root Ganglion Neurons"
Dissertation advisor: Robert L. Rosenberg, Professor of Pharmacology
1984 - 1988 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
BS, Biology
Honor’s Thesis: The Effect of Temperature on the Activity of the Suppressor Gene
for the White-Mottled (W M4 ) Phenotype in Drosophila.
2003 - present Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC
Assistant Professor of Biology
Instruction of courses including Human Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology,
Pathophysiology and Cell Biology. A large portion of teaching load is nursing
courses, which allows inclusion of clinical experiences with lecture material.
2006-present Presbyterian Hospitals-Novant Health Charlotte, NC
Physical Therapist
Evaluation and treatment of acute inpatients with a variety of clinical diagnoses.
1997 - 2003 Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC
Physical Therapist
Evaluation and treatment of acute inpatients including neurological, orthopedic, and
cardiopulmonary diagnoses, wound care, outpatient orthopedic and neurological
populations, clinical instruction of students, supervision of physical therapist
assistants and technicians, and delivery of departmental inservices for staff
education and development. Additional role as co-investigator for Sacroiliac
Dysfunction Research Project involved research design and preparation of study
proposal for outpatient research project investigating treatment outcomes for
pelvic dysfunction.

Teaching Experience
1998-2002 Carolinas ALS Clinic Charlotte, NC
One of two physical therapists for a multidisciplinary team, including specialized
evaluation and treatment of ALS patients, and preparation of educational
materials. Clinic conducted ongoing collaborative research with pharmaceutical
companies investigating clinical treatment options.
2002-present Queens University of Charlotte, NC
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught in Biology Department:
BIOL 313 & 314 Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II
BIOL 120 Medical Microbiology
BIOL 360 Sophomore Seminar
BIOL 510 Advanced Pathophysiology
BIOL 430 Topics: Neurobiology
BIOL 496 Senior Biology
Courses Taught in Other Departments:
CORE 112 Noble Lives
HONR 220 Brain Game: Exploring Our Behaviors
JBIP 220 John Belk International Program
NSCI 101 Issues in Science
Study Tour Classes: Greece, Italy, China
1995-1997 Neurophysiology Duke University
Guest Lecturer
Delivered neurophysiology lectures to physical therapy students including basic
principles of ion gradients, action potentials, and axonal conduction.
1992-1994 Gross Anatomy University of North Carolina, CH
Fall/Winter Term
Lab Instructor
Taught gross anatomy and assisted with cadaver dissections in comprehensive first
year medical school course.
1990-1992 Neurobiology University of North Carolina, CH
Lab Instructor
Lectured to first year medical students on neuroanatomical structures and pathways,
associated pathologies, and clinical relevance. Assisted with student dissections of
gross brain specimens.
1991-1995 Biology Select Test Prep, Chapel Hill, NC
Instructor
Comprehensive lectures for this MCAT review course included basic physiological
systems, cell biology, genetics, and evolution.

Committees & Programs
Conferences
Awards received
Publications
Abstracts
Scholarship Committee
Internship Committee (Chair: 2009-2010)
John Belk International Program Advisory Committee
Retention Committee
Crossroads Charlotte
L.E.A.D. (Peer Mentor Program)
Biology Search Committee (2008-2009)
Speaker on Core Program at Alumni Events
GlaxoSmithKline Women in Science Scholars Program (2005)
Nanotechnology Conference at Charlotte, NC (2007)
Undergraduate Neurobiology Conference at Davidson College (2008)
AAC&U Conference on Enhancing Science in General Education (2009)
iWorx Systems Workshop (2009)
William S. Lee Distinguished Professor Award 2009
Duke Faculty nominee, National APTA Mary McMillan Scholarship 1997
Phi Beta Kappa, Bucknell University 1987
Summa Cum Laude, Bucknell University 1987
Koplas, PA, Gans, HB, Wisely, MP, Kuchibhatla, M, Cutson, TM, Gold, DT, Taylor,
CT, and Schenkman, M. (1999) Quality of life and Parkinson’s disease.
J Gerontology 54A(4): M197-M202.
Koplas, PA, Rosenberg, RL, and Oxford, GS. (1997) The role of calcium in the
desensitization of capsaicin responses in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons.
J Neuroscience 17(10): 3525-3537.
Duncan, GE, Little, KY, Koplas, PA, Kirkman, JA, Breese, GR, and Stumpf, WE.
(1991) Beta adrenergic receptor distribution in human and rat hippocampal
formation: marked species differences. Brain Res. 561(1): 84-92.
Henson, OW, Jr., Koplas, PA, Keating, AW, Huffman, RF, and Henson, MM. (1990)
Cochlear resonance in the mustached bat: behavioral adaptations. Hearing Res. 50:
259-274.
Koplas, PA, Gans, HB, and Schenkman, M. Quality of life and Parkinson’s disease.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Orlando, FL. June, 1998.
Koplas, PA, Rosenberg, RL, and Oxford, GS. Desensitization of the capsaicinactivated
current in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Presented at the Twenty-Fifth
Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. San Diego, CA. Oct., 1995.
Oxford, GS, Rosenberg, RL, and Koplas, PA. Characterization of capsaicin
responses in intact rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Presented at the Twenty-Fifth
Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. San Diego, CA. Oct., 1995.

Koplas, PA, and Oxford, GS. Excitatory responses induced by low concentrations of
opioid agonists in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Presented at the Biophysical Society
Meeting. New Orleans, LA. Feb., 1994.
Townsend, C, Wang, K, Fecho, K, Koplas, PA, and Rosenberg, RL. (1991) Okadaic
acid and heparin help sustain the activity of L-type calcium channels in planar lipid
bilayers. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 17: 773.
Rosenberg, RL, Chen, X, and Koplas, PA. (1991) Functional symmetry of L-type
calcium channels. Biophys. J. 57: 525a.
Huffman, RF, Koplas, PA, Keating, AW, Henson, OW Jr., and Henson, MM. (1990)
Activity dependent changes in cochlear resonance and biosonar emissions in the
mustached bat. Abstracts of the 13 th Midwinter Meeting, Association for Research in
Otolaryngology, 232-233.
Hirshberg, Y, Koplas, PA, and Rosenberg, RL. (1990) Calcium and calcineurin
increase the inactivation rate of L-type calcium channels in planar bilayers. Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr. 16: 1174.