About our authors
Frederic (Ric) H. Martini, Ph.D.
Dr. Martini received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in comparative and functional anatomy for work on the pathophysiology of stress. In addition to professional publications that include journal articles and contributed chapters, technical reports, and magazine articles, he is the lead author of 10 undergraduate texts on anatomy and physiology. He has also published books on tropical islands, on WWII history, and in science fiction. Dr. Martini has a long-standing bond with the Shoals Marine Laboratory, a joint venture between Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire, where he received his undergraduate degree. He has been active in the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) for over 30 years and was a member of the committee that established the course curriculum guidelines for A&P. He is a President Emeritus of HAPS after serving as President-Elect, President, and Past-President over 2005–2007. Dr. Martini is also a member of the American Physiological Society, the American Association of Anatomists, the International Society of Vertebrate Morphologists, and the Society of Military History.
Judi L. Nath, Ph.D.
Dr. Judi Nath is an adjunct teaching professor at Penn State University and biology professor emerita at Lourdes University. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate students in courses including anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical terminology, and science writing. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Bowling Green State University, which included study abroad at the University of Salzburg in Austria. Her doctoral work focused on auto-immunity, and she completed her Ph.D. from the University of Toledo. Dr. Nath is devoted to her students and strives to convey the intricacies of science in captivating ways that are meaningful, interactive, and exciting. She has won the Faculty Excellence Award—an accolade recognizing effective teaching, scholarship, and community service—multiple times and in 2013 was named as an Ohio Memorable Educator. She is active in many professional organizations, notably the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), where she is a past president and has served several terms on the board of directors. She is also the 2021 recipient of the HAPS President's Medal. Dr. Nath is a coauthor of Visual Anatomy & Physiology, Visual Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Human Anatomy (published by Pearson); she is the sole author of Using Medical Terminology, Stedman's Medical Terminology, and Short Course in Medical Terminology (published by Jones & Bartlett); Applied Pathophysiology (published by Lippincott), and Digesting Foods and Fads and Sins Against Science (published by McFarland). She is also a board member of America Cares for Ukrainian Children. In 2015, she and her husband established the Nath Science Scholarship at Lourdes University to assist students pursuing science-based careers. She is an aspiring tap dancer and dog trainer with goals of achieving a healthy work-life balance.
Edwin F. Bartholomew, M.S
Edwin F. Bartholomew received his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and his M.S. from the University of Hawaii. Mr. Bartholomew has taught human anatomy and physiology at both the secondary and undergraduate levels. In addition, he has taught courses ranging from botany to zoology at Maui Community College (now the University of Hawaii Maui College). For 17 years, he taught at historic Lahainaluna High School, the oldest high school west of the Rockies, where he assisted in establishing a Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter. He is a coauthor of Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology, Visual Anatomy & Physiology, Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Visual Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Structure and Function of the Human Body, and The Human Body in Health and Disease (all published by Pearson). Mr. Bartholomew is a member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), the National Association of Biology Teachers, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Lahaina Arts Society. He also enjoys painting in oil, watercolor, and pastels, as well as growing tropical fish, aquarium plants, and orchids.
William C. Ober, M.D.
Dr. Ober received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University and his M.D. from the University of Virginia. He also studied in the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. After graduation, Dr. Ober completed a residency in Family Practice and later was on the faculty at the University of Virginia in the Department of Family Medicine and in the Department of Sports Medicine. He also served as Chief of Medicine of Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. Most recently he was Visiting Professor of Biology at Washington and Lee University, where he taught courses in biological illustration and led student trips to the Galapagos Islands. He was on the Core Faculty at Shoals Marine Laboratory for 24 years, where he taught biological illustration every summer. Dr. Ober has collaborated with Dr. Martini on all his textbooks in every edition.
Claire E. Ober, R.N.
Claire E. Ober, R.N., B.A., practiced family, pediatric, and obstetric nursing before turning to medical illustration as a full-time career. She returned to school at Mary Baldwin College, where she received her degree with distinction in studio art. Following a 5-year apprenticeship, she has worked as Dr. Ober's partner in Medical & Scientific Illustration since 1986. She was on the Core Faculty at Shoals Marine Laboratory and co-taught the biological illustration course with Dr. Ober for 24 years. The textbooks illustrated by Medical & Scientific Illustration have won numerous design and illustration awards.
