In 2023, Dr. Werner joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences as an assistant professor. Dr. Werner received her PhD in anatomy from Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. Her PhD research focused on remodeling of the enteric nervous system and muscarinic receptors of the colon following T3 spinal cord injury in a Wistar rat model. Her project received considerable recognition at the National Neurotrauma Society (NNS) Conference in 2022, as well as in 2021 where she received the NNS Women in Neurotrauma Research Award.
Prior to completing her PhD, she served for two years as a clinical teaching professional for the Physical Therapy Department at Duquesne University. During her PhD, she served as an adjunct faculty member in the Biological Sciences Department at Messiah University.
Throughout her PhD and while at Duquesne, she continuously expanded her teaching experiences in the fields of anatomy, histology, embryology, and neuroanatomy. Dr. Werner joined the School of Dental Medicine to teach first-year dental student courses in anatomy and histology (body tissues). She is highly driven to develop innovative pedagogical practices within the classroom as well as through outreach programs.
In 2024, Dr. Werner was appointed to serve as the Director of Sustainability for the School of Dental Medicine. In this role, Dr. Werner works alongside the University of Pittsburgh Office of Sustainability in the Health Sciences (OSHS) to integrate and drive change toward sustainability across all areas of the school.