Dr. Baker joined the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences as an Assistant Professor in July 2019.
Dr. Baker received a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of East Anglia, UK in 2008. Her Ph.D. thesis focused on investigating the role of Wnt1 Inducible Secreted Protein 3 (WISP-3)/CCN6 in osteoarthritis and chondrocyte biology. She completed post-doctoral work on bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) at the NIH and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her post-doctoral research focused on the influence of cholesterol and the lipid raft protein Caveolin-1 on MSC growth, differentiation and cell signaling.
Dr. Baker has been teaching at the University of Pittsburgh since 2014. As teaching faculty in the School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Baker is currently pursuing pedagogical research to promote excellence in teaching. She is currently course director for the biological sciences courses for first year dental hygiene students and co-director of the molecular and cell biology course for first year predoctoral students.
She aims to create engaging classes and an inclusive classroom environment, in which students are inspired to actively participate in their learning. Her research interests include investigating the effectiveness of case-studies and inquiry-driven activities on student mastery, as well as best assessment practices for student success and knowledge retention.