Match tier Confirmed
Presence Current · Arkansas
Last published 2026
Sources OpenAlex · ORCID
Refreshed 2026-08-15

Paul M. Gignac

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

High Impact

Associate Professor

Also affiliated: Florida State University (2007–2013); University of Notre Dame (2007); National Museum of American History (2025); Florida A&M University - Florida State University College of Engineering (2007); American Museum of Natural History (2018–2026); University of Arizona (2022–2026); Alternative Opportunities (2021); Stony Brook University (2014); Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (2014–2026)

Faculty Researcher

23 h-index 89 pubs 2,511 cited

  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution
  • Brain
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Phylogeny
  • Contrast Media
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Bite Force
  • Skull
  • Fossils
  • Alligators and Crocodiles
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Chickens
  • X-Ray Microtomography
  • Dinosaurs

Biography and Research Information

OverviewAI-generated summary

Paul M. Gignac's research focuses on the application of advanced imaging techniques, particularly diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DiceCT), to study biological structure and evolution. His work investigates neuroanatomical integration, scaling, and the evolution of brain shape and development in avian species, as well as the evolution of terrestriality in mudskippers.

Gignac has utilized DiceCT to generate comprehensive datasets for anatomical description and teaching materials, including a full-body dataset for a member of the Testudines and cranial musculoskeletal descriptions for species like the Black-Throated Finch. His research also extends to comparative digital reconstruction of species such as the Eurasian Magpie and Ostrich, examining cranial suture ontogenies, and analyzing intraspecific variation and asymmetry in species like the Southern Cassowary. Further applications of his imaging work include multiscale imaging of the rat brain, contributing to a broader understanding of brain structure and its evolutionary implications.

His work has resulted in 89 publications, with an h-index of 23 and over 2,400 citations. Gignac collaborates with researchers from institutions including Arkansas State University and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, with whom he has co-authored multiple publications. He leads an active research group and maintains a lab website.

Metrics

  • h-index: 23
  • Publications: 89
  • Citations: 2,511

Selected Publications

  • Ultraviolet light illuminates species-specific biofluorescent casque patterns in cassowaries (Casuarius) (2026)
    Scientific Reports DOI OpenAlex
  • Species-specific casque shapes in the genus <i>Casuarius</i> and implications for visual display (2025)
    The Auk 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • A histological and diceCT-derived 3D reconstruction of the avian visual thalamofugal pathway (2024)
    Scientific Reports 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • The role of networks to overcome large-scale challenges in tomography: The non-clinical tomography users research network (2024)
    Tomography of Materials and Structures 4 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Dumbbell‐shaped brains of Polish crested chickens as a model system for the evolution of novel brain morphologies (2023)
    Journal of Anatomy 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Intraspecific variation and directional casque asymmetry in adult southern cassowaries (<i>Casuarius casuarius</i>) (2022)
    Journal of Anatomy 8 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Collaboration Network

33 Collaborators 21 Institutions 2 Countries

Top Collaborators

View profile →

Similar Researchers

Based on overlapping research topics