Merrill Dane

Research Scientist
Department of Internal Medicine

First UTSW job: Research Associate, Pulmonary Research Group, Internal Medicine. One of my first projects was to help measure how lung function changes when breathing gases of different densities.

Best part about my job: I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects. It keeps things interesting.

How co-workers describe me: I get along with people and I’ve had good working relationships with a lot of people. I try to be helpful and keep things running smoothly.

Most unusual UTSW memory: One of the more interesting experiences involved a series of field studies on high altitude adaptations. We packed a van full of all our equipment, drove it halfway across the country, and set it all up on top of White Mountain in California and measured the breathing of guinea pigs running on a small treadmill.

I’m really good at: Trivia – I have a large store of obscure facts.

Hobbies: I like to get together with friends and family over good food. I run and have done some 5K and 10K races. I read a lot, so I’m always up for a good used bookstore.

Surprising fact: I was Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certified and have been scuba diving in the Caribbean. I play the alto saxophone.

Final note: I’ve enjoyed traveling for conferences and field studies, seeing new places, and meeting and collaborating with people. A lot of my job is troubleshooting; it’s satisfying when I can come up with an elegant solution to a problem.