Research:
My current research addresses specific gaps in our understanding of how nervous systems modulate transitions among complex motor behaviors. Specifically, although considerable information is available regarding the neuromuscular control of stereotyped movements such as walking or running, little is known about how the nervous system regulates muscles to change speed, alter direction, and maneuver. I examine these questions using the flight behaviors of hummingbirds, possibly the most maneuverable vertebrate.
I am conducting three sets of experiments to quantify muscle activity and performance. During free flight, I record the wing and body motions (kinematics) using high-speed videography and measure the electrical activity and length changes of the flight muscles using electromyography (EMG) and sonomicrometry. In the second experiment, these data are used to measure muscle forces on detached muscles in order to quantify how muscle stimulation pattern corresponds to mechanical power production. Finally, the hummingbird kinematics are played out upon our dynamically scaled flapping robot to measure aerodynamic forces. Linking detailed flight kinematics, in vivo EMG recordings, in vitro work loop analysis, and aerodynamic force measurements provides a complete and integrated view of motor control in maneuvering hummingbirds.
Education:
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1992.
M.Sc. Purdue University, 1996
Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, 2001
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