Lab Alumni

 

Philip Lai

Philip Fahn-Lai

Graduate Student 2015-2021, PhD 2021

Phil studies the tapestry of muscle and bone that makes up the shoulder, and how its structure and function evolved along the branch of the vertebrate tree of life that led to modern-day mammals. Their work combines CT imaging, high-speed X-ray videography, machine learning, and old-fashioned probe and scalpel dissection to produce new insights into the inner workings of ancient anatomical structures. 

Following their PhD, Phil is pursuing a career in Data Design Science.

Website

Kari Taylor-Burt

Graduate Student 2013-2020, PhD 2020

Kari's interests focus on how environmental demands influence the biomechanics of animal movement, musculoskeletal structure, and physiology.

Kari is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Mt. Saint Mary University in Pennsylvania working on invertebrate obliquely striated muscle.

Website​​​​​​​

Mount Saint Mary's Univ Website

Brianna McHorse

 

 Brianna McHorse

Graduate Student 2013-2019, PhD 2019

Research Interests: terrestrial locomotion, functional morphology, evolutionary biomechanics, paleobiology, musculoskeletal modeling, equid evolution.

Following her PhD, Brianna is pursuing a career in Data Science.

Allison Arnold

Allison Arnold-Rife, PhD

Research Associate, 2005-2019

Allison's research Interests include musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of human and animal movement; experimental validation of muscle models; applications of models in comparative biomechanics,
pediatric orthopedics, rehabilitation, and sports.

Allison currently works as an independent scientist, collaborating in the Boston, MA area.

Website

Chris Tijs, PhD

NIH Post-doc 2015-2017

Research Interests: biomechanics, muscle and tendon mechanics, connective tissue, myofascial force transmission.

Following his Post-doc at Harvard's CFS, Chris returned to the Netherlands to pursue a career as a Data Analyst, working for Netherlands Translink.

Website

 

Partha Bhagavatula, PhD

ONR Post-doc 2014-2016

Research Interests: avian vision, flight control in birds, animal navigation and GSNS (Global Satellite Navigation system) tools for animal tracking.

partha.bhagavatula[at]gmail.com

Glenna

Glenna Clifton

Graduate Student 2000-2017, PhD 2017

Research Interests: underwater force production, predator-prey interactions of diving birds, running on water by Western and Clark's grebes, swing limb muscle control.

Following her PhD, Glenna was a post-doc in Bioengineering at UCSD, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Portland.

glenna.clifton[at]gmail.com

Website

 

 

Jennifer Carr, PhD

Preceptor and Instructor, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, 2009-2016

Research interests: terrestrial locomotion, muscle morphology, evolutionary morphology, muscle function during terrestrial locomotion

 

 

 

Talia Y. Moore

Graduate Student 2000-2016, PhD 2016

Research interests: jerboas, kangaroo rats, hopping mice, bipedal desert rodents, terrestrial locomotion and associated morphological adaptations, granular substrates, phylogenetic methods, inertial steering.

Following her PhD, Talia was a post-doc in Bioengineering at the University of MIchigan, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Robotics in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of MIchigan.

taliaym[at]gmail.com

Website

 

Carolyn Eng
Graduate Student 2008-2014, PhD 2014  NIH Post-doc 2014-15

Research Interests: muscle architecture and biomechanics of movement, musculoskeletal modeling, myofascial and myotendinous biomechanics.

Following her NRSA Post-doc at Brown University and a post-doc at Yale University, Carolyn opted to pursue a career as a Research Project Manager of clinical trials working for Kaiser Permanente in  Seattle, WA.

carolyneng[at]gmail.com
Website

Ivo Ros
Graduate Student, 2008-2013, PhD 2013;  ONR Post-doctoral fellow 2014-15
Research Interests: aerodynamics and visual control of maneuvering and turning flight in birds and flies.

Following his PhD and ONR Post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard, Ivo continues his academic research as a Research Associate at the California Institue of Techology, studying the neurobiology of flight control in fruit flies (D. melanogater), analyzing their neural circuit dynamics based on functional imaging via  2-photon microscopy.

ivo.ros[at]gmail.com
Website          Dickinson Lab - Cal Tech

 

 

C. David Williams, PhD
NSF Post-doctoral Fellow 2012-14
Research Interests: molecular analysis of sarcomere force-length behavior, flight stability and maneuvering in birds, and currently BIG data science.

Dave returned to the Univ. of Washington as a mathematical biophysicist at the Allen Institute, and is currently a Data & Modelling Scientist at Microsoft.

cdave[at]uw.edu
Website

 

 

 

Natalie Holt, PhD
NIH Post-doctoral Researcher, 2011 - 2013
Research Interests: comparative muscle physiology, energetics and biomechanics of animal locomotion

After a Post-doc at UC, Irvine, Natalie was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Northern Arizona Univeristy, and is now an Assistant Professor of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology at UC, Riverside.

natalie.c.holt[at]gmail.com
 

Website

 

Maria de Boef Miara, PhD
2007 - 2012 NIH Post-doctoral fellow

Research Interests: terrestrial locomotion, musculoskeletal morphology, bone microstructure, evolution and development.

Maria is currently and Associate Professor of Biologyu, teaching at Brandeis University

mmiara@brandeis.edu
Website

 

 

Huai-Ti Lin, PhD
ONR Postdoctoral Researcher, 2011 - 2011
Research Interests: avian and insect flight and navigation through cluttered environments; soft-bodied robotics; predator-prey pursuit in dragonflies;  flight stabiligy and biorobotics.


After completing a Research Associate fellowship at Janelia Farms, HHMI, Huai-Ti moved to a faculty position at Imperial College, London, where he is now a Senior Lecturer in Bioengineering.

h.lin[at]imperial.ac.uk

Website  Lab Website

 

 

Carlos Moreno
Graduate Student, 2004 - 2010, PhD 2010


Academic Research Interests: skeletal biomechanics and biomechanics of goat turning during steady locomotion.

Currently: Senior Software Engineer, Stem Disintermedia Inc.

Website

 

 

Angie  Berg Robertson
Graduate Student, 2004 - 2010, PhD


Academic Research Interests: avian flight biomechanics and aerodynamics.


Currently: pursuing family life in Phoenix, AZ

 

 

Chris Richards
Graduate Student, 2003 - 2009, PhD
Research Interests: biorobotics, modeling and experimental muscle biomechanics and locomotor performance in swimming frogs

Following hi PhD, Chris was a Junior Fellow at the Rowland Institute, Harvard University.  Chris then took a research post-doctoral fellowship in paleorobotics at the Royal Veterinary College, UK.  Chris is now a Senior Lecturer at the RVC, affiliated with Univ. College London


Websitehttp://www.rvc.ac.uk/about/our-people/christopher-richards

 

 

Edwin Yoo
Graduate Student: 2006-2009, M.A. (Harvard, OEB)

Research: climbing mechanics in goats, horn impacts during head butting

Currently: High School Science Teacher

 

 

 

David Lentink, PhD
NSF Postdoctoral Researcher, 2009-2010


Research Interests: aerodynamics of bird flight; wing morphing linked to maneuvering in swifts; stability during avian flight maneuvering.


Currently: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University Groningen, Netherlands
Website

 

 

 

Timothy E. Higham, PhD
NIH Postdoctoral Researcher, 2006-2008

Research Interests: vertebrate locomotion and feeding, muscle biomechanics, functional morphology

Currently:  Professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, UC Riverside
Website

 

 

 

Andrew Carroll, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research: vertebrate locomotion and feeding, muscle physiology, functional morphology

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biology, Evansville College

Deceased

 

 

David V. Lee, PhD
DARPA Postdoctoral Researcher, 2003-2006

Research Interests: comparative biomechanics of terrestrial locomotion; XROMM and biorobotics.

Currently: Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas


Website

 

 

M. Polly McGuigan, PhD.
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2003-2005

Research Interests: muscle-tendon mechanics, muscle modulation with varying locomotor tasks; aging effects on muscle and locomotor function

Currently: Senior Lecturer, Applied Biomechanics, Department for Health, University of Bath, UK


Website

 

 

Monica A. Daley
Graduate Student, 2000-2006, PhD

Research Interests: neuromuscular control of locomotion, perturbation recovery, locomotor biomechanics and energetics, biorobotics.

Currently: Professor of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, UC, Irvine


Website

 

 

Russell P. Main
Graduate Student, 2000-2006, PhD

Research Interests: skeletal biomechanics, bone remodeling, bone microstructure and geometry, in vivo patterns of bone strain.

Currently: Associate Professor, Basic Medical Sciences (Veterinary Medicine) & Weldon School of Bioengineering, Purdue University


Website

 

 

Craig P. McGowan
Graduate Student, 2000-2006, PhD

Research Interests: comparative biomechanics, neuromuscular control of locomotion, musculoskeletal modeling and evolution.

Currently:  Associate Professor, Dept. of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, USC


Website

 

 

 

Ty Hedrick
Graduate Student, 1999-2004, PhD

Research Interests: aerodynamics and control of flight, flight stability and maneuvering; 3D kinematics of flight and field studies of flight.  Ty has pioneered open-source software tools to study the 3D kinematics of animal movement under a variety of conditions.

Currently: Professor of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Website

Jim Usherwood, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, 2002-2004

Research Interests: comparative biomechanics of terrestrial and aerial locomotion; remote monitoring of flight performance in birds.

Currently: Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow and Reader, Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, UK
Website

 

 

Anna Ahn, PhD
NIH Postdoctoral Researcher, 2001- 2003

Research Interests: neuromuscular control and biomechanics of locomotion, muscle mechanics.

Currently:  Professor of Biology, Harvey Mudd College


Website

 

 

Gary B. Gillis, PhD
NRSA NIH Postdoctoral Researcher, 1998- 2002

Research Interests: biomechanics, neuromuscular control of locomotion; evolution of vertebrate musculoskeletal systems

Currently: Norman and Emma Harris Foundation Professor of Biology, Mount Holyoke College

Website

Barbekka Hurtt, PhD
NIH Postdoctoral Researcher

Research: muscle function and energetics of execise

 

 

Bret W. Tobalske, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, 1998- 1999

Research Interests: aerodynamics of bird flight, flight ecology and neuromuscular physiology linked to flight performance.

Currently: Professor of Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, and Director of the Field Research Station, University of Montana

Website

 

 

Peter G. Weyand, PhD
Research Associate 1995-1998

Research Interests: exercise physiology, human locomotion

Currently:  Professor of Applied Physiology and Sport Management, Southern Methodist University


Website

 

Past Doctoral Students (University of Chicago, Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy)

Carolyn Jaslow, PhD 1987 (Professor, Rhodes College)

Sharon Swartz, PhD 1988 (Professor, Brown University)

John Bertram, PhD 1988 (Professor, Univ. of Calgary)

Larry Frolich, PhD 1991

Matthew Carrano, PhD 1998 (Curator, Smithsonian HMNH)

(joint w/ J Hopson)

Rick Blob, PhD 1998 (Professor, Clemson University)

(joint w/ J Hopson)

Nora Espinoza, PhD 2000 (Adjunct Assoc. Professor, Clemson University)