Trainee Research
Current Trainees
Marc Badger, Integrative Biology
Nicholas Burnett, Integrative Biology
Margaret Byron, Mechanical Engineering
Sofia Chang, Integrative Biology
Evan Chang-Siu, Mechanical Engineering
Trevor Dolinajec, Biophysics Graduate Group
Dennis Evangelista, Integrative Biology
Duncan Haldane, Mechanical Engineering
Woody Hoburg, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Nate Hunt, Integrative Biology
Cherub Kim, Mechanical Engineering
Erica Kim, Biophysics Graduate Group
Nick Kohut, Integrative Biology
Michael McKinley, Mechanical Engineering
Stephen McKinley, Mechanical Engineering
Jean-Michel Mongeau, Biophysics Graduate Group
Jasmine Nirody, Biophysics Graduate Group
Carlos Oroza, Civil Engineering
Elias Patten, Mechanical Engineering
Victor Shia, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Dwight Springthorpe, Integrative Biology
Ian Tse, Civil Engineering
Lindsay Waldrop, Integrative Biology
 | Marc Badger Integrative Biology E-mail: mbadger[at]hmc.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in how morphology allows organisms to perform as well as they do, and in using details of locomotion to illuminate their behavior and ecology. I am also interested in how organisms search the space of possible body configurations when solving physically challenging problems. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Physics, Harvey Mudd College Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I am looking forward to learning from a group of biologists, engineers, physicists, and computer scientists who have overlapping interests, but diverse ways of approaching problems. I would also like to develop small projects based on insect flight that will instruct and inspire young scientists. Current Research: I am currently investigating the thermal sensitivity of sprint speed in the granite spiny lizard, adapting a model of phenotypic plasticity to include lag times and imperfect information, and modeling the dynamics of maneuvering flight in pigeons. |
 | Nicholas Burnett Integrative Biology E-mail: burnettnp[at]gmail.com Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in the behavior of animals in extreme flow environments, such as the rocky intertidal zone. In particular, I am interested in the mechanical limitations of animal behavior in these conditions and the consequences these limitations have on the energetics and structure of the surrounding biotic community. Education: Current: 1st Year PhD student Previous: B.S. Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 2012 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to learn techniques to describe the kinematics of different modes of locomotion by intertidal invertebrates in high velocity and turbulent flow fields. Additionally, I hope to collaborate with engineers in the program to design biomimetic robots that can help model different strategies of locomotion in environments with extreme flow and complex topography. |
 | Margaret Byron Civil/Environmental Engineering E-mail: mbyron[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I'm curious about turbulence, navigation, and the functional morphology of fish-- and the coupling between all of those things. In particular, I'm interested in the intermediate scales of turbulence, and the organisms that navigate flows in which they are alternately nektonic and planktonic. These animals' compromises between speed and maneuverability, and their adaptations to their unique environments, hold some of the keys to the development of efficient and effective autonomous underwater vehicles. Education: Current: 3rd year PhD student Former: M.S. Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley 2012; B.S.E. Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University 2010 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I have already benefitted immensely from the IGERT's interdisciplinary network, and from my interactions with other trainees. IGERT's resources I also hope to expand my outreach efforts to take advantage of IGERT's resources, which have been a great help to me as I pursue my research goals and continue in outreach to local high school and elementary school students. Current Research: I am developing new techniques in Refractive Index Matched Particle Image Velocimetry (RIM-PIV), which allow me to measure flowfields in and around solid objects. I have used these techniques to study many aspects of particle-laden flows, including variations in turbulent kinetic energy level and power spectrum tilt due to differently shaped particles. Currently I am investigating the passive effects of fish fins as control surfaces on model fish in homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. |
 | Sofia Chang Integrative Biology E-mail: swchang[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in the evasive behavior of insects capable of flight. Specifically, my research involves understanding the insect's adaptations, such as morphology, behavior and ecological context, which allow them to perform successful escapes. I study their jumping and flying performances under different environmental conditions. Education: Current: 2nd year PhD student Former: B.A. Integrative Biology, University of California - Berkeley, 2011. Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to share insightful observations and exchange practical tools with other engineers and biologists through my quest to test flight performances of insects. Further, I would like to participate in outreach opportunities that inspire public support and instill interest in science. Current Research: I am currently exploring jump characteristics of tropical lubber grasshoppers taking off from leaves, wood, and dirt at different angles. The information obtained by the project would help understanding how the grasshopper is able to escape despite environmental changes. |
 | Evan Chang-Siu Mechanical Engineering E-mail: evancs[at]gmail.com Primary Focus Area: Control Research Interests: My research focuses on bio-inspired Mechatronics and robotics. Specifically I am interested in posture control of terrestrial locomotive robots through inertial methods. Education: Current: 5th Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley 2006; M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley 2008 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Using techniques learned through this traineeship I hope to accomplish two things. The first is to uncover and understand the dynamic principles and behaviors involved in the multifunctional tail of a lizard. The second is to incorporate these novel behaviors into the next generation of search and rescue robots in order to improve their response times in hazardous, time-critical situations, and complex environments. Current Research: I am currently a PhD student in Prof. Tomizuka’s Mechanical Systems Control laboratory. I have studied a varied range of topics including electronic power steering systems to shape memory alloys. At present, I am working on creating a body posture controlled mobile robot and wish to incorporate my background in control and dynamic systems. |
 | Trevor Dolinajec Biophysics E-mail: dolinajec[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Evolution Research Interests: I'm interested in the biomechanics and aerodynamics of fungal spores. Specifically, the conditions under which pathogenic fungal spores attach and remain attached to animal hosts. Education: Current: 2nd Year PhD student Previous: B.A. Physics, University of California, Berkeley, 20112 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: My goals include using technics such as dynamically scaled modeling and particle image velocimetry to study spore biomechanics in the lab. I also hope to work in the field and conduct experiments where these pathogenic spores are present. It is my intention to collaborate with mycologists and to draw on their knowledge and expertise. Current Research: Currently I am concluding a project I began as a rotation student and beginning to familiarize myself with the literature relating to spore biomechanics. The project I am concluding has practical applications to my future research in spores. The applications include use of dynamically scaled modeling and the concept of comparing forces while an object is attached to a surface versus when it is in free-flow. I have been studying the forces and moments that benthic prey experience when attached to a surface. In this case the surface could be the tentacle of a sea anemone and as such I have been looking as specific organisms that are consumed by a local species of anemone. I have built models of three larva and a copepod. Using a tank of mineral oil and a force/torque transducer I have been comparing the moments between organisms and between different orientations with respect to the flow. These organism when subjected to scoring waves experience a transitional Reynolds number regime where laminar flow gives way to some turbulence. |
 | Dennis Evangelista Integrative Biology E-mail: devangel[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/koehl/stud/dennis.html Primary Focus Area: Evolution Research Interests: I am interested in flight and swimming, gliding and parachuting, maneuvering and control; transitions through free surfaces, jumping, launching and landing, impact; agility, disturbance, control and turbulence, and interactions between flow and structures. I am also interested in the biomechanics of movements in plants. Education: Current: 5th Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, MIT; 1999, B.S. Electrical Engineering, MIT; 1999, M.Eng. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, 1999; M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School and Bettis Reactor Engineering School, 2001 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I enjoy applying engineering tools to biological systems and hope to gain fruitful partnerships and sharing of ideas from the CIBER-IGERT program. As a former engineer with engineering degrees and experience in industry, I also hope to help engineers understand evolution and biology and translate ideas from nature into engineering designs in a sensible way. Current Research: My PhD research is focused on the role of maneuvering, stability, and control in the evolution of vertebrate flight. As side projects, I look at plants and animals that jump, launch, land, crash, or fly; I also look at "improbable" swimmers. IGERT-Related Papers: |
 | Duncan Haldane Mechanical Engineering E-mail: dhaldane[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/koehl/stud/dennis.html Primary Focus Area: Materials Research Interests: My research focuses on the design of bio-inspired millirobots, exploring topics in dynamic similarity, passive stability and agile locomotion. Specifically I am interested in robust and high-speed animal adaptions in terrestrial locomotion, and locomotion in highly constrained environments. Education: Current: 2nd year PhD in Mechanical Engineering Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University, 2011 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Through this traineeship, I hope to continue performing integrative research, and approaching biological questions using engineering tools. My goal is to couple research of animal morphology and behavior back to the design of bio-mimetic robots. Current Research: I am currently studying the locomotion dynamics of the American Cockroach, P americana in an effort to develop a terrestrial running robot capable of unprecedented speed. I am also collaborating with several other researchers in the program to study the locomotion of P americana in constrained environments and the effect of appendage inertia on a highly dynamic legged millirobot I have designed. IGERT-Related Papers: |
 | Woody Hoburg Electrical Engineering and Computer Science E-mail: whoburg[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~whoburg/ Primary Focus Area: Control Research Interests: My research focuses on control, system identification, and learning. Education: Current: 4th Year PhD Student Previous: BS, Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 2008 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Understand how biological systems learn complex control tasks like piloting an aircraft or conducting a surgery. Interface with researchers from many disciplines. Current Research: I am currently developing a system that will enable autonomous helicopters to teach themselves how to fly complex trajectories (like flipping over, flying upside-down, or autorotating safely to the ground unpowered). The goal is to learn how to perform these tasks without any prior demonstrations, which turns out to be quite difficult given the complexities of helicopter dynamics. I aim to implement my algorithm on a full-scale operational helicopter so that it can learn how to autorotate to the ground in case of an engine failure. |
 | Nate Hunt Integrative Biology E-mail: nathaniel.hunt[at]berkeley.edu Research Interests: I am interested in using a dynamical systems framework to understand movement in biological and engineered systems. Specifically, I would like to investigate how neural, mechanical, and environmental systems interact in a way that leads to functional legged locomotion. Education: Current: 1st Year PhD Student Previous: BS, Physics, University of Nebraska 2010; MS, Biomechanics, University of Nebraska 2012 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I am excited to study motion systems in groups of people with different skills and perspectives. Through interdisciplinary collaboration I hope to broaden my own perspective on how to study locomotion as well as make some exciting discoveries. I would also like to develop a toolkit with complex techniques from the various disciplines of the CIBER-IGERT. Current Research: The primary research of my Master's degree was to develop a method of using rhythmic auditory stimulus containing fractal properties to manipulate a person's gait variability. The purpose was to establish a proof of concept enabling further research towards developing an auditory cueing system for rehabilitation of people with gait pathologies that disrupt the rhythm of gait, such as Parkinson's disease. This fall I will be a first year PhD student in Professor Full's polypedal lab. |
 | Cherub Kim Mechanical Engineering E-mail: ckim88[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Materials Research Interests: I am interested in studying the mechanics of animal motion, specifically the action of muscles as non-linear springs in the realization of diverse animal motion. With this knowledge, I hope to build upon current springs to develop non-linear spring systems for mechanical systems. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley; B.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, UC Berkeley Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Through the CiBER-IGERT program, I hope to develop skills and knowledge in both biology and engineering in order to effectively integrate both fields in the hopes of finding novel solutions, inspired by nature, to some of today's engineering challenges. |
 | Erica Kim Biophysics Graduate Group E-mail: e.kim[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://web.me.com/ricaekim Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution and biomechanics of flight in Trochilidae (hummingbirds). Understanding how such agile and extreme birds control, maneuver, and adapt, in particular, may lead to novel, bio-inspired designs. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: B.A. Mathematics, New York University, 2008 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to collaborate with other biologists and engineers in discovering interesting biological designs and solutions, and then taking a further step by applying these findings to meet human needs. Current Research: I am currently studying the mechanical and metabolic energetics and kinematics of Anna’s hummingbirds hovering in vertical winds of up to 3 m/s (both upwards and downwards). As of now, analysis is restricted to measurements of oxygen consumption and body stroke form; my next step will be to utilize particle image velocimetry in order to study the time-average vortex wake of the bird and its interaction with the moving air. Understanding, for example, how a biological organism “deals” with vortex ring state may lead to a more robust micro-air vehicle design. |
 | Nick Kohut Integrative Biology E-mail: kohut[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests:I am interested in small, legged robots and their intersection with controls, dynamics, and biology. I am currently developing an active tail to execute rapid turning of a robot while running over terrain. Education: Current: 4th Year PhD Student Previous: BSME, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007, MSME, University of California, Berkeley, 2009 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: My goals for the traineeship are to gain a larger understanding of how robotics and biology can inform each other, and to collaborate with researchers from a broad range of fields. I believe the traineeship will strengthen my work, broaden my scientific horizons, and allow me to communicate my research to a wider, more varied audience. Current Research: My current research involves exploring the use of inertial appendages to execute rapid turns on terrain for small, legged robots. Issues of control, dynamics, mechanical design are addressed. IGERT Related Papers:: |
 | Jessica Lee Mechanical Engineering E-mail: jessica.lee[at]pacbell.net Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am fascinated by animal locomotion and plan to research and design bio-inspired robots. Specifically, I would like to investigate the movements of an octopus and apply it to the field of soft robotics. Education: Current: 1st year PhD in Mechanical Engineering Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, UC Santa Barbara 2013 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I am excited to collaborate with other biologists and engineers in order to find the best biological designs and solutions to current world problems. Through this traineeship, I hope to research animal behavior and morphology and apply it to the design of biomimetic robots. Current Research: Through my position as a research assistant in Dr. Kimberly Turner’s Mechanics Microscale Systems (MEMS) Lab, I have begun to understand the hierarchical nature of bio-inspired adhesion and friction. I have used microfabrication techniques to create centimeter sized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patches with micro-scale columns. These columns easily conform to the contact surface, utilizing van der Waals interactions to mimic the adhesive fibers that allow geckos to traverse vertical and inverted surfaces. For my research, I have been given the task to design and create my own macro-scale testing station and experiment with these patches. Changing their surface area size and thickness, and varying the initial shear force used when applying them to a surface, gives us insight into the tribological behavior of larger adhesive areas and will allow easier integration onto climbing robots. |
 | Leeann Louis Integrative Biology E-mail: llouis[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in the physiological and biomechanical implications of how organisms endure environmental stresses. Specifically, I am curious about birds and how they manage to fly or otherwise move around under extremes of temperature, wind, and other challenges. Education: Current: 1st year PhD in Integrative Biology Previous: B.S. Biological Engineering, Cornell University, 2009 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to make connections with fellow biologists and engineers that broaden my understanding of the field of biomechanics and that help me gain new skills to ask and answer interdisciplinary questions in biomechanics. I also hope to use the resources of the IGERT to help inspire K-12 students to pursue work in the sciences and engineering. Current Research: I am working to model the use of feathers in avian non-vocal sound production. I am also analyzing changes in bone morphology due to environmental and endocrine changes. |
 | Michael McKinley Mechanical Engineering E-mail: mckgyver[at]gmail.com Website: http://mckgyver.pbworks.com/ Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: My research focuses on Mechatronics, Assistive Robotics, Human Machine Interaction, Bio-inspired Design. Education: Current: 3rd Year MS/PhD Student Previous: BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst 2009 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Develop a broader perspective of biological solutions to current robotics problems. Gain a practical understanding of control strategies utilized in animal locomotion. Current Research: I am focusing on the development of medical robotic equipment ranging from assistive devices to diagnostic equipment. Currently I am working with professor Homayoon Kazerooni to develop a lower extremity exo-suit for paraplegics. The primary objective of this research is to provide independence to the physically disabled by addressing limitations of current assisted paraplegic walking devices. Members of the paraplegic community will be included in this project to demonstrate the utility of working prototypes. |
 | Stephen McKinley Mechanical Engineering E-mail: mckinley[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am fascinated by how legged organisms, specifically humans, interact and maneuver through their environment. My research focuses on restoring bipedal locomotion to paraplegics Education: Current: 2nd Year MS/PhD Student, UC Berkeley Previous: BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst 2011 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to develop better robotic solutions for bipedal locomotion through broader understanding of biological adaptability. Current Research: I am studying how humans interact with varied terrain as we move through our environment. Stairs, ramps, and other anomalies in the urban setting pose difficulties for current exoskeleton technology; adding these capabilities will greatly increase paraplegics’ independence from wheelchairs. |
 | Jean-Michel Mongeau Biophysics Graduate Group E-mail: jmmongeau[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Materials Research Interests: I’m interested in neuromechanical principles that can help us understand how animals maneuver stably in natural environments. I use techniques in biomechanics and neurobiology to experimentally test hypotheses within an engineering framework and to inform the development of bio-inspired electromechanical systems. Education: Current: 5th Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Biomedical Engineering. Northwestern University. 2007 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: To share resources and ideas with engineers and biologists to discover new biological principles that can inform the development of novel bio-inspired technologies. I would also like to learn more about the process of technology transfer by taking classes on the subject. Current Research: To understand general principles behind how animals move, I study invertebrates such as the cockroach. I am currently studying how these small animals transition between level and vertical surfaces at high speed by studying patterns of neuromuscular activity and kinematics. We have recently discovered that small animals can use surprising strategies when transitioning between surfaces. On this project I work collaboration with engineers, mathematicians, and physicists to elucidate general principles of transitions on inclines and inform the development of multifunctional robots for search and rescue operations. I’m currently studying the role of passive mechanics in the first stages of sensory acquisition. To address this problem I have studied how hairs on invertebrate antennae allow a sensor to assume a preferred posture for effective task-level control, specifically tactile-mediated wall-following. From behavioral experiments we have demonstrated that passive properties of hairs on sensors enable changes in antennae postures. These principles have inspired the development of hairy sensors to simplify control of tactile-mediated tasks. This work is being done in collaboration with the LIMBS lab at Johns Hopkins University. IGERT-Related Presentations: |
 | Jasmine Nirody Biophysics Graduate Group E-mail: jnirody[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jnirody/ Primary Focus Area: Control Research Interests: My research involves dynamical systems and their applications. Particularly, I am interested in using mathematical models in conjunction with experimental data to study problems in biology and mechanics. Education: Current: 1st year Biophysics Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley Previous: B.A. Mathematics and Biology, New York University; M.A. Medical Science, Boston University; M.S. (equivalent) Dynamical Systems, Universiteit Utrecht Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I hope to talk to and exchange ideas with students and researchers from varied backgrounds, and develop a fuller, well-rounded approach to solving problems in mathematical biology. I’m excited for the opportunities for great collaborations that will arise from my participation in IGERT. Current Research: My undergraduate thesis involved studying limbless locomotion on flat surfaces, for the purpose of designing efficient limbless robots for a variety of uses, from colonoscopies to search-and-rescue. Particularly, we investigated the role of the frictional anisotropy of the snake’s underbelly scales during undulation. I have also worked on a project using high-resolution CT imaging and finite element analysis to investigate how different loading patterns may affect bone geometry and cortical microstructure. In particular, we analyzed variations in metatarsal cortical geometry among different athletes (concentrating on dancers vs. runners). IGERT Related Papers:: |
 | Carlos Oroza Civil Engineering E-mail: coroza[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: I am interested in the design of robotic sensors which operate in dynamic environments. I am specifically interested in the design and control of aquatic-sensor robots which must collaborate to gather data about a system which is more powerful than they are. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: Through the intensive study of biological systems and their environments, I hope to achieve two goals. First, I want to design a new robotic sensor which effectively meets two conflicting design requirements: being a good Lagrangian sensor and being an efficient swimmer. To meet the first requirement, the robot must "stick" to the flow in order to accurately capture the flow dynamics. To meet the second requirement, the robot must uncouple itself from the flow and move freely through its environment to gather data about specific regions. My second goal is to improve the high-level control of the robots by studying the behavior of organisms which must collaborate to accomplish goals which would be impossible to achieve individually. Current Research: This Fall, I will be a first year MS/PhD student working in Prof. Alex Bayen's Lagrangian Sensors and Systems Lab. As an undergraduate, I am working on the mechanical design, prototyping, and low-level control of a fleet of autonomous, aquatic robotic sensors. The sensors are designed to gather and transmit environmental data such as temperature, flow velocity, salinity, and depth and can be used for a variety of purposes such as environmental monitoring, levee inspection, hydraulic model validation, and contaminant tracking. As I begin my graduate career, I am interested in studying organisms that must efficiently move in hydrodynamic environments to improve the design and control of our robotic sensor systems. |
 | Elias Patten Mechanical Engineering E-mail: epatten[at]me.berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Materials Research Interests: I study the tribological, fatigue, and strength properties of materials used in medical implants. Specifically, I have been looking at how polymers used in hip and knee implants wear and am currently designing and building a custom wear-testing machine. I am also interested in studying natural systems as inspiration for engineering solutions and researching practical solutions for sustainable, climate-friendly energy. Education: Current: Mechanical Engineer at Makani Power Previous: PhD Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley 2012, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I would like to learn about other research projects which could use a testing station like the one I've built. I'd also like to get involved in research on bio-mechanical systems in nature or solution to our energy problem. Current Research: Most people personally know at least a one person that has undergone hip or knee replacement surgery. They are one of the most successful surgeries performed today. However, as the baby-boomer population continues to age, more and more is demanded of these implants. The material combination of choice for the bearing materials for most of the hip and knee replacements is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and cobalt-chrome. Usually, the limiting factor on the life-span of these implants is the generation of wear debris of polyethylene. When researching new formulations of the polyethylene and testing it's resistance to wear, it is important that the complex motions present in hips and knees is recreated in the wear test. To determine how the complex motions and material treatments affect wear, I have been designing a special wear testing machine. To make the machine robust, cost-effective, and easily adaptable, we retro-fitted a CNC milling machine and equipped it with load cells, pneumatic loading cylinders, and a data-logging system. |
 | Victor Shia Electrical Engineering and Computer Science E-mail: vshia[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Control Research Interests: I am interested in multi-agent control of micro-robots and bio-inspired robotics, and wireless sensor networks for search and rescue and health-care purposes. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: BS Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, UC Berkeley Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: From this traineeship, I hope to understand the locomotion of biological systems and if/how biological creatures coordinate actions among several agents. I also hope to work with biologists and engineers from other disciplines to create new bio-inspired technologies. Current Research: During undergrad, I worked on body sensor networks to provide remote monitoring of elderly and hospital patients thereby improving health-care and allowing continuous monitoring of progressive diseases. The body sensor networks included multiple wireless motes equipped with accelerometers, ECGs, and bio-impedence sensors connected via Bluetooth to an Android phone to monitor patients. Using accelerometry data from the multiple sensors, I worked on real-time segmentation and classification algorithms for activity classification on mobile phones. |
 | Dwight Springthorpe Integrative Biology E-mail: dspringthorpe[at[berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Control Research Interests: I am interested in how and why an animal transitions between its various control schemes. I am also interested in how these transitions relate to the neural and mechanical properties of that organism. Education: Current: 2nd Year PhD Student Previous: B.S. Physics; University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, 2009, M.S. Biomedical Engineering; University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, 2011 Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: The IGERT's broad collaborative environment will enhance both my own research and my ability to communicate professionally with scientists outside my field. Such collaboration is vital to cutting-edge research and may reveal new avenues of investigation that would not otherwise be apparent. Current Research: I am currently investigating excavation, a previously un-described behavior, in ghost crabs (O. quadrata) using a variety of techniques that include x-ray imaging. The results of this investigation will help us understand the control targets in constrained locomotion, manipulation, and the creation of new axis for locomotion. Furthermore, these results may be applied to developing a new generation of highly mobile robots, capable of locomotion through (and under) highly irregular terrain. |
 | Ian Tse Civil and Environmental Engineering E-mail: ian.tse[at]berkeley.edu Primary Focus Area: Mechanics Research Interests: My research interests focus on the physics of fluids in the natural environment and, recently, the interplay between fluid dynamics and biology. I am particularly interested in the physics of turbulence as it relates to the fate and transport of sediments, contaminants, and aquatic organisms that must navigate highly turbulent flows. I aim to design and utilize robust quantitative imaging techniques to experimentally quantify these complicated transport processes. Education: Current: 3rd Year PhD Student Previous: BS in Mechanical engineering, Cornell University 2007; MS in Environmental engineering, Cornell University 2009 |
 | Lindsay Waldrop Integrative Biology E-mail: lwaldrop[at]berkeley.edu Website: http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/koehl/stud/lindsay.html Primary Focus Area: Materials Research Interests: Currently, I am studying how scaling affects odor sampling in marine and terrestrial crabs. Crabs have small tufts of chemosensory hairs which they move back and forth through their respective fluids in order to take and hold odor samples, or sniff. How fluid flows through these arrays is determined by their sizes and speeds, so I am also interested in how sniffing changes during growth and development. Education: Current: Postdoc at UNC Chapel Hill Previous: PhD Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley 2012, B.S. (Biology), Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Goals for CiBER-IGERT Traineeship: I would like to interface with engineers and other scientists to inspire an amphibious odor sampling device using what I've learned about how terrestrial and marine crabs sniff. Current Research: I am primarily interested in biological flows at low and intermediate Reynolds number fluid dynamics (Re ~ 10-3 to 10). Right now, I am working on how fluid flows through the chemosensory hair arrays of crabs during odor capture. Small changes in Re have big effects on changes in flow through these arrays in this Re range (as well as swimming, etc), so I am also interested in the scaling issues facing organisms in this range. I have worked on other projects in intermediate Reynolds numbers, including ciliary suspension feeding currents in flow with Bill Kier (UNC), swimming performance of gastropod veliger larvae with Richard Strathmann and Daniel Grunbaum (UW, Friday Harbor), and the scaling of swimming performance in rotifers with Dan Levitis (Max Planck Inst.). I also did a project in IB 135L about drag on Phestilla larvae during settlement with Jim Kreft and Mimi Koehl. IGERT-Related Presentations: |
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