Jeff C. Falcone, Ph.D.


JEFF C. FALCONE, Ph.D.
jcfalc01@louisville.edu
Associate Professor
Indiana University, 1989


My full and engaging passion, as a tenured faculty member, has been focused on fulfilling the University, Health Science Center, School of Medicine and Department missions centered on education in the sciences.  It is my drive to continue to learn and to grow academically.

Within my education endeavors as both teacher and in course directorship, I have developed multi-format, multi-media, engaging pedagogies focused on elevating both colleagues and students from multiple levels to grow in understanding of their own power within, their minds, and their critical thinking skills centered in the basic sciences.  Student elevation to the level of understanding the concepts coupled with problem-solving and team-centered learning, feeds my vision and pushes me to continue exploration and implementation of cutting-edge pedagogical methods to better both formative and summative aspects and outcomes of education.  I have administered and developed courses at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and professional in Dental and Medical).  I have had the great honor to work with and learn from other faculty who share and bring multiple perspectives to the education round table.  We work together to bring learning to new and higher levels of thoughtful and purposeful understanding.  Serving others, stimulates inner growth, fosters compassion with empathy in continual adaptation to promote understanding that feeds my life’s energy; drawing me to continue seeking, exploring and sharing in Scholarship.

My research endeavors from the past were focused on the regulatory mechanisms controlling the local flow of blood to tissue (primarily skeletal muscle, intestine and kidney). We investigated the regulatory mechanisms whereby microscopic veins (venules) can act as a sensor of changes in blood metabolites/nutrients and via second messengers either cause dilation or constriction of nearby microscopic arteries (arterioles).

Our studies have always involved the integration of multiple level hypotheses, technology, and protocols. Our approach to integrate across the spectrum is demonstrated by our in vivo and in vitro publications. Specifically, we have developed protocols for visualizing intracellular (either endothelial or vascular smooth muscle) calcium, and other probes such as: pH, sodium, potassium and even membrane potential in intact microscopic blood vessels. Furthermore, we can measure and analyze both content and activity of many intracellular pathway components which lead either to vasodilation or constriction. By focusing our research on specific cellular molecules and then by learning how these molecules interact within the cell and what effect they produce as tissue we can better appreciate and understand how tissues, organs and systems function in this complexity we call life.

 
Select Education-Based Abstracts:

  • Falcone JC.  “Team-based learning enriches active and long-term critical learning.”  Council on Post-Secondary Council on Higher Education Conference:  Creativity and the Educated Person: A new era.  Juried Abstract.  Invited for oral presentation.  Lexington, KY.  May, 2010.
  • Falcone JC.  Outreach, Creativity, Innovations and Teaching; Can 8th Graders Teach Cardiovascular Science & Healthy Living to 1st Graders?  KY-American Physiological Society Annual Meeting, Bowling Green, KY, 2017.
  • Falcone JC.  formative Group-Centered Learning (fGCL); A Modified Team-Based Learning Method.  KY-American Physiological Society Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, 2018.
  • Falcone JC.  Engaging Student Learning with the Use of Multi-Formatted Online Quizzes.  KY-American Physiological Society, Louisville, KY, 2021.

Journal-Based Publications:

  • Anderson GL, Passmore JC, Wead WB, Falcone JC, Stremel RW and Schuschke DA.  “Using ‘Active Learning’ methods to teach physiology.”  Med Sci Educ  1:  20 – 22, 2011.
  • Falcone JC, Geoghegan TE and Joshua IG.  “Summer Medical Dental Enrichment Program (SMDEP) helps young college students to better prepare for the admissions process.”  The Hoosier Science Teacher  36(3):  78 – 79, 2011.
  • Miller CJ, Falcone JC, Metz MJ.  A comparison of Team-Based Learning formats: Can we minimize stress while maximizing results?  World Journal of Education  5(4): 1-13, 2015.
  • Heart Smart: Middle School Students Mentoring Primary Students – PhUn Week Poster Session EB 2011.  Jeff C. Falcone and Margaret E. Shain.  LifeSciTRC, #R11108, 2011. (Reviewed by the LifeSciTRC Staff).
  • 8th Graders Teach Cardiovascular Science & Healthy Living to 1st Graders: Creativity & Innovations – PhUn Week Poster Session EB 2017.  Jeff C. Falcone  LifeSciTRC, #R11108, 2017. (Reviewed by the LifeSciTRC Board).
  • Brainard RE, Watson LJ, Terson de Paleville G=DGL, Falcone JC.  Play your way to a grade of “A”: Helping students engage during the social isolation of remote learning. Advanced in Physiological Education, In Review, 2024.
  • Metz, CJ, Metz, MJ, Falcone, JC. A toolbox of strategies to improve test-taking skills: A comparison of student perceptions. Advanced in Physiological Education, In Revision, 2024.