OSyM Participants

    • Type of Researcher
    Members
    Bradley Wood
    Organismal Biologist
    Postdoc
    Wellesley College
    bw100@wellesley.edu
    Research Summary

    My current postdoctoral research is focused on the kinematics of fish locomotion and integrates electromyography, 3D videography, and field observations to better understand the biomechanics and physiology of propulsion and intermittent locomotion in Bluegill Sunfish.


    Biographical Info

    I am interested in the functional, ecological, and evolutionary morphology of organisms and how scientific modeling (e.g., 3D imaging and biomechanical modeling) aids in untangling the complexity intrinsic to the interaction between organisms and their environment. To pursue these interests, I studied the explanatory role and power of scientific models in functional morphology by completing an M.A. thesis in the philosophy of science. With a firm theoretical understanding of model building and deployment, I then studied the functional, ecological, and evolutionary morphology of Sea Lampreys for a Ph.D. in comparative anatomy under the guidance of Dr. Dominique G. Homberger at LSU, Baton Rouge. Through my Ph.D. research, I integrated field observations of spawning Sea Lampreys with an anatomical analysis of their trunk musculature by using microdissection, histology, and 3D imaging based on MRI to develop biomechanical models of trunk bending involved in locomotion. Since biomechanical models based on anatomical and behavioral data must be tested with physiological data about kinematics and muscle performance, after completing my Ph.D. in December 2019, I began post-doctoral research in January 2020 on Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis microchirus) to learn fish biomechanics, muscle physiology, electromyography, and field videography techniques under the guidance of Dr. Dave Ellerby at Wellesley College, MA. Upon completion of my post-doctoral research, I will use my broad training in comparative anatomy and physiology to develop a research program that integrates anatomy, physiology, and field observations to study the interplay between the structure and function of organisms.


    Arthur Woods
    Organismal Biologist
    Professor
    University of Montana
    Division of Biological Sciences
    art.woods@mso.umt.edu
    Research Summary

    I work on a set of projects examining how climate change is affecting invertebrates, especially insects. Current projects focus on the thermal ecology of plant-insect interactions, and an emerging new direction is aquatic insect ecophysiology.


    Biographical Info

    Arthur Woods received a PhD at the University of Washington with advisor Joel Kingsolver. After a three-year postdoc at Arizona State University, he joined UT-Austin as a lecturer. Five years later (2006), Arthur joined faculty at the University of Montana, where he has served since.


    Keywords: physiological ecology, respiratory physiology, plant-insect interactions
    Hao Ye
    Modeler
    Postdoc
    University of Florida
    hao.ye@weecology.org
    Website
    Twitter
    Research Summary

    My research involves developing new methods for integrating time series analysis and machine learning to better understand processes and mechanisms in complex systems (a framework called "Empirical Dynamic Modeling"). My work typically examines ecological change in populations and communities, though the methods are general in being able to reconstruct the temporal dynamics of any generic dynamical system; applications to other domains have included neuroscience, astrophysics, glacial climate cycles, medicine, and more.


    Biographical Info

    I am a computational ecologist, with a background and degrees in computer science, experimental psychology, and oceanography. Currently, I am a postdoctoral associate and Moore Data fellow in the Weecology Lab at the University of Florida. I am involved in various activities to promote open science, as well as inclusion, equity, and accessibility in academia, including serving as a mentor for the Mozilla Open Leaders program, the upcoming Open Life Science program (https://openlifesci.org/), teaching Ally Skills workshops at my university as part of the Gainesville Ally Skills Network (https://alligatorallyskills.weebly.com/), and associate editor for Methods in Ecology and Evolution.


    Jeannette Yen
    Organismal Biologist
    Professor
    Center for Biologically Inspired Design at Georgia Tech
    jeannette.yen@biosci.gatech.edu
    Center for Biologically Inspired Design
    Research Summary

    Jeannette Yen is a Professor of Biology at Georgia Tech. Her Ph.D. is in interdisciplinary environmental science of biological oceanography where she studies how fluid mechanical and chemical cues transported at low Re flow serve as communication channels for micro-aquatic organisms, primarily zooplankton: key link in aquatic food webs.


    Biographical Info

    Jeannette Yen
    Center for Biologically Inspired Design at Georgia Tech
    Jeannette is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Biologically Inspired Design. The Center brings together a group of biologists, engineers, designers and physical scientists who seek to facilitate interdisciplinary research and education for innovative products and techniques based on biologically-inspired design solutions. The participants of Georgia Tech’s Center for Biologically-Inspired Design believe that science and technology are increasingly hitting the limits of approaches based on traditional disciplines, and Biology may serve as an untapped resource for design methodology, with concept-testing having occurred over millions of years of evolution. Experiencing the benefits of Nature as a source of innovative and inspiring principles encourages us to preserve and protect the natural world rather than simply to harvest its products. Jeannette team-teaches the interdisciplinary course in biologically inspired design [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMlvUJ9_GSk].
    Jeannette Yen is a Professor of Biology and has been at Georgia Tech since 2000. Her Ph.D. is in interdisciplinary environmental science of biological oceanography where she studies how fluid mechanical and chemical cues transported at low Re flow serve as communication channels for micro-aquatic organisms, primarily zooplankton: key link in aquatic food webs. She has been to all 7 continents, including Antarctica for her research and education. [http://www.rh.gatech.edu/news/307781/antarctica-quest-bottom-food-chain]. She recently collaborated with Mel Chin where her plankton swim above Times Square as augmented