Andrew R Lammers

Biography

" Andrew Lammers teaches Human Gross Anatomy (HSC 475 & 457), Physiology for the Clinical Sciences (HSC 422), and Advanced Research and Writing in Health Sciences (HSC 484). His goal is to share his fascination for anatomy and physiology with students and to turn future clinicians and biologists into big anatomy nerds. Until recently, his research is on the biomechanics of locomotion in small quadrupedal mammals. However Dr. Lammers has changed his research focus to one more clinically applicable, seeking to understand the biomechanics and neuromechanics of suckling and swallowing in infants. Outside of work, Dr. Lammers enjoys swing dancing, learning Spanish, running, martial arts, woodworking, and Legos. He is a member of the ManKind Project, an organization dedicated to helping men achieve personal integrity, accountability, emotional awareness, and meaning in their lives."

Research Interest

Dr. Lammers studies the neural control of suckling and swallowing in infants, using infant pigs as a model. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing, often accompanied by movement of liquids or food into the windpipe and lungs) is a common disorder, and premature infants often suffer from various forms of dysphagia. One such disorder arises from a damaged recurrent laryngeal nerve, which controls several muscles in the larynx (the cartilage structure in the neck which controls where food, liquids, and air move into the body). When this nerve is damaged in these infants, milk is often moves into the lungs, which can cause serious issues. Dr. Lammers, and colleagues at Northeast Ohio Medical University, seek to understand how the brainstem controls swallowing and airway protection using the recurrent laryngeal nerves along with other nerves that control muscles and provide sensory information.