Rate My Professor Anne Burrows

Anne Burrows, Ph.D., DPT, FAA, serves as Professor and Anna Rangos Rizakus Endowed Chair for Health Sciences and Ethics in the Department of Physical Therapy within Duquesne University’s John G. Rangos Sr. School of Health Sciences. A biological anthropologist, she earned her Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995, along with an M.S. in Anthropology and a B.S. in Biology from the same institution. Joining Duquesne University in 2002, Dr. Burrows has built a distinguished career focused on primate anatomy and evolution. Her research specializations include primate feeding biomechanics, non-vocal communication, and the evolution of primate facial expressions. She investigates how skulls and teeth develop in response to diet using primates as models and examines the functional morphology of facial musculature in humans, primates, and domestic dogs to understand social behavior and evolutionary processes.

Dr. Burrows’ impact is reflected in over 6,500 Google Scholar citations and key publications such as “Paedomorphic facial expressions give dogs a selective advantage” (PLoS ONE, 2013), “Evolution of facial muscle anatomy in dogs” (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019), “CalliFACS: The common marmoset Facial Action Coding System” (PLoS ONE, 2022), and co-editing “Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos” (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Other notable works include studies on rhesus macaque facial musculature (Anatomical Record, 2025) and dental adaptations in strepsirrhines (Anatomical Record, 2024). She has held leadership roles as Faculty Senate President (2016–2020), President of the American Association for Anatomy, and member of the University Promotion & Tenure Committee. Awards include election as a Fellow of the American Association for Anatomy (2022), Creative Teaching Award (2025), and Rangos Prize (2023). Dr. Burrows contributes to public engagement through conference presentations and volunteer service as a Judge of Elections for Allegheny County and dog handler at Animal Friends shelter.