Rate My Professor Monique Ogletree-Hughes

Monique Ogletree-Hughes serves as Instructional Professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston, where she has been a faculty member since approximately 2009. She holds a PhD from the joint program between Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, completed between 1995 and 2001, during which she researched inotropic mechanisms in human atrial and ventricular muscles in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine under Dr. Christine Moravec. Subsequently, from 2001 to 2003, she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Anesthesiology Research at the Cleveland Clinic, focusing on the effects of anesthetics such as etomidate, propofol, and remifentanil on the contractility of failing and non-failing human heart muscle, as well as the recovery of beta-adrenergic responsiveness and calcium cycling following mechanical unloading in failing hearts.

In her role at the University of Houston, Ogletree-Hughes teaches foundational and advanced Biology courses for majors and non-majors, including BIOL 1361 Introduction to Biological Sciences, BIOL 1305 Human Biology, BIOL 1344 Human Anatomy & Physiology II, BIOL 3324 Human Physiology, and specialized courses like BIOL 6351 Integrated Anatomy & Physiology and freshman interest groups. Her academic interests include cardiac muscle contractility, heart failure, congenital heart disease, anesthesia's impact on heart muscle, and initiatives for STEM student success and retention. Key publications include "Mechanical unloading restores β-adrenergic responsiveness and reverses receptor downregulation in the failing human heart" (Circulation, 2001), "The effects of etomidate on the contractility of failing and non-failing human heart muscle" (Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2000), "Effects of Remifentanil on the contractility of failing human heart muscle" (Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 2005), and "Long-term LVAD use fails to reverse abnormal Ca2+-cycling in the severely failing human heart" (International Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation, 2010). She has co-authored textbook chapters, such as one on the physiology and molecular biology of the developing heart. Ogletree-Hughes has earned significant recognition for her teaching and research, including the 2022 University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award for Instructor/Clinical faculty, the 2017 Group Teaching Excellence Award as part of the Introductory Biology Team, a 2016 nomination for the same, the 2001 Lower Award for Clinical Research (Honorable Mention) from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the 1997 NIDDK Minority Travel Award, NIH-NRSA Minority Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (1998-2001), and AHA Ohio Valley Affiliate Postdoctoral Fellowship (2001-2003). She has presented extensively on STEM retention strategies and serves in leadership roles such as Faculty Director of Undergraduate Programs and Joint Admissions Medical Program Faculty Director.