Education
1981-1982
Institute Fellow
Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer Research
Denver, CO
1980-1981
National Research Service Award Trainee
Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer Research, Denver, CO
National Jewish Hospital, Denver, CO
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
1977-1979
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer Research, Denver, Co
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
1976
Ph.D. (Major: Anatomy, Minor: Microbiology)
Baylor University, Baylor College of Dentistry Division
Dallas, TX
1972
B.S. (Biology)
Baylor University
Waco, TX
Professional Experience
1995-present
Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM), Tulsa, OK
1994-present
Graduate Faculty, Full Member, Oklahoma State University (OSU), Stillwater, OK
1991-present
Adjunct Instructor, Dental Hygiene Program, Tulsa Community College, Tulsa, OK
1990-1995
Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, OSU-COM
1985-1989
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, OSU-COM
1982-1984
Assistant Professor, Cherry Creek Baptist College, Englewood, CO
1973-1976
Teaching Assistant, Department of Anatomy, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX
Services & Contributions for OSU-CHS
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Committee, Chairman - 2001-2002, Member -
1997-2000
- Self-study Curriculum Committee, Chairman, 2000-2001
- College Advisory Committee, Steve Sands - 1999-2001, Chair for Steve Sands -
1999-2000, Acting Chair for Sandra Sands -
1999-2001
- Website Committee, 1999-2000
- Curriculum Committee, Chairman - 1999-2001, Member -
1998-2001
- Student Selection Committee, 2000-2001, 1997-1999
- Network Committee, 1997-1999
- Scientific Review, 1997-1998
- Academic Standards Committee, Chairman - 1998-1999,
Member - 1997-1999,
1995-1996
- Faculty Senate, Member - 2001-2002, President -
1996-1997, Member -
1994-1997
- Promotion and Tenure Committee, Chairman - 1999-2000, Member -
1995-2000, 1991-1994
- Graduate Education Committee, 1991-1995
- Institutional Review Board, Member - 1989-1991, Chairman -
1989-1990
- Continuing Medical Education, 1989-1991
- Faculty Affairs Committee, Member - 1997-1999, 1992-1995, 1988-1991, Chairman -
1992-1993, 1990-1991
- Faculty Yearbook Advisor, 1992-1993, 1988-1991
- Student Affairs Committee, Chairman - 1995-1996, 1987-1989, Member -
1995-1996, 1992-1993, 1987-1989
- Research Committee, 1989-1991, 1987-1988
- Learning Resources Committee, Member - 1986-1987, Chairman -
1985-1987
- Preclinical Faculty Research Committee, 1985-1986
Professional Societies
- Program Chairman, Joint Meeting of the Oklahoma Microscopy Society and the Texas Society for Electron Microscopy, 1998, 1991
- President, Oklahoma Microscopy Society, 1991-1992
- Member, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 1991-1992
- Member, American Association of Anatomists (FASEB), 1991-1992
Honors & Awards
- Marion Laboratories Student Presentation Award, 1990
- American Osteopathic Association Research Conference, 1990
- Faculty Advisor of MSII Student, Kevin Fisher, 1990
- Marion Laboratories Student Presentation Award, 1989
- American Osteopathic Association Research Conference, 1989
- Faculty Advisor of MSII Student, Sabrina Lawson, 1989
- Cover Photograph, J.A.O.A. Vol. 90, No.3, 1990
- Outstanding Professor Award,
OSU-COM Class of 1998, 1994
- Provost/Dean Excellence in Teaching Award, 1998
Extramural Funding
01/01/98-12/31/99
The Role of Apoptosis in Bone Healing, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, $29,800, Investigator associated with project.
09/01/89-08/31/91
The Cytoskeleton of Intact and Cultured Synovial Membrane Cells from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Continuance Grant from American Osteopathic Association, $16,700.
09/01/87-08/31/88
The Cytoskeleton of Intact and Cultured Synovial Membrane Cells From Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, American Osteopathic Association, $13,500.
Representative Publications & Presentations
Meek, W.D. and Puck, T.T., (1979). Role of the Microfibrillar System in Knob Action of Transformed Cells. J. Supramolec. Struc. 12: 335-354.
Meek, W.D., Porter, K.R. and Puck, T.T., (1980). The Ultrastructure of Process Formation Following Treatment with dbcAMP of a Chinese Hamster Ovary X Chinese Hamster Brain Cell Hybrid. Exp. Cell Res. 126: 359-374.
Puck, T.T., Erikson, R.L., Meek, W.D., and Nielson, S.E., (1981). Reverse Transformation of Vole Cells Transformed by Avian Sarcoma Virus Containing the src Gene. J. Cell Physiol. 107: 399-412.
Meek, W.D.(1982). Morphological Evidence for Cyclic AMP-induced Reverse Transformation (RT) in Vole Cells Infected with Avian Sarcoma Virus (ASV). Molecular and Cell Biol. 2: 863-874.
Meek, W.D. and Davis, W.L. (1986). Fine Structure and Immunofluorescent Studies of the WISH Cell Line. In Vitro Cell. Develop. Biol. 22: 716-724.
Meek, W.D. and Davis, W.L. (1986). Cytochalasin D and Cationized Ferritin as Probes for the Morphological Investigation of Blebbing in Two Human Cell Lines. In Vitro Cell. Develop. Biol. 22: 725-737.
Meek, W.D. (1990). The Cytoskeleton of Cultured Skin Fibroblasts from Patients with Huntington's chorea. J.A.O.A. 90(3): 241-253.
Meek, W.D., Raber, B., McClain, O., McCosh, J., and Baker, B.B., (1991). Fine Structure of the Human Osteoarthritic Synovial Lining Cell: Its Prominent Cytoskeleton. Anat. Rec. 231(2): 145-155.
Meek, W.D. (1994). The Fibronexus in a Case of Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma. Ultrastruc. Path. 18: 365-370.
Meek, W.D. and Henderson, D.A., (1994). Characterization of Keratin Densities in Mitotic WISH Cells. Cell Motility and Cytoskel. 28(2): 165-178.
Johnston, E., Meek, W.D., Henderson, D., and McCosh, J., (1995). Electronmicroscopic Demonstration of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV-1) in Verruca Plantaris. J. Amer. Pod. Med. Assoc. 85(6): 306-309.
Olmedo, M.L., Landry, P.S., Sadasivan, K.K, Albright, J.A, Meek, W.D., Routh, R. and Marino, A.A., (1999). Regulation of Osteoblast Levels During Bone Healing. J. Orthopaedic Trauma., 13(5): 356-362.
Kolomytkin, O.V., Marino, A.A., Sadasivan, K.K., Meek, W.D., Wolf, R.E., Hall, V., McCarthy, K.J., and Albright, J.A., (2000). Gap Junctions in Human Synovial Cells and Tissue. J. Cellular Phys., 184: 110-117.
Meek, B., Rose, S., and Sands, S., (2000). Unique Cellular Features in a Testicular Plasmacytoma Case. Ultrastruc. Path., 24: 197-201.
Marino, A.A., Waddell, D.D., Kolomytkin, O.V., Meek, W.D., Wolf, R., Sadasivan, K.K., and Albright, J.A. (2004). Increased Intercellular Communication through Gap Junctions May Contribute to Progression of Osteoarthritis. Clinical Orthopaedics Rel. Res., 422:224-232.
Beju, D., Meek, W.D., Kramer, J.C. (2004). The Ultrastructure of the Nasal Polyps in Patients with and without Cystic Fibrosis. J. Submicro. Cytol. Path., 36 (2).
Instructional Activities
- Histology - MSI
- Gross and Developmental Anatomy - MSI
- Advanced Histology - Graduate
- Medical Embryology - Graduate
- Molecular and Cellular Biology - Graduate
Research Interests
My research interest is in the area of the cytoskeleton and its relationship to developmental and cellular functions. I am currently involved with projects regarding the role of junctional complexes formed by synovial lining cells in normal and disease states, namely rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis; and the arrangment of the vimentin intermediate network in epithelial cells.
Biographical Information
I joined the faculty of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine anatomy department following postdoctoral fellowships at the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer Reasearch in Denver, Colorado, and the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. With this background I was interested in the mechanisms of cell biology and the microscopic anatomy of the cell and its application to the cancer cell and genetic diseases.
I was trained in the area of electron microscopy and cell culture and thus worked extensively in these two fields to investigate the structure of the cell during the "early" days of scanning electron microscopy and high voltage electron microscopy. I feel privileged to have worked as the advisee of two pioneers in the areas of cell culture and electron microscopy, Ted Puck and Keith Porter.
At the time of my postdoctoral study, the structural nature of the cell was beginning to unfold with the advancement of viewing techniques in the areas of immunology and microscopy. These applications were also being applied to learning more about the metastatic properties of cancer cells. My training was firmly grounded in gross anatomy and the anatomy discipline in general, as I assisted with teaching during my graduate studies at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
Recreational Interests
- Road Bicycling
- Ballroom Dancing
- Butterfly and Beetle Collecting
- Basset Hound Watching
- Study of the Oklahoma & North Texas Panhandle
