Andrew Altieri
Postdoctoral research associate, Bertness Lab
Ph.D., Email: Andrew Altieri@brown.edu

Emanuel (Manny) Azizi
Ph.D., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2005. Thesis title: “ Biomechanics of salamander locomotion.” The primary theme of my research is the form and function of the musculoskeletal system in vertebrates. Specifically I am interested in how the spatial organization (architecture) of muscle fibers determines the mechanical output of muscle-tendon units during locomotion. My work combines geometric modeling, in situ physiological techniques and in vivo measurements during locomotion in order to better understand the functional significance of muscle architecture. By developing a comprehensive understanding of muscle architecture, I aim to integrate the mechanical demands of locomotion with the physiological constraints of the vertebrate sarcomere. My doctoral work was primarily focused on the form and function of segmented axial musculature in fishes and salamanders during swimming. For my post-doctoral work I have been using wild turkeys as a model system for understanding the dynamic behavior of pinnate muscles during running. In addition to my primary research interests, I also have ongoing collaborations focused on the ontogeny of locomotor performance in amphibians, phenotypic plasticity of locomotor structures, and underwater walking in tetrapods.

David Baier

Joaquin Chaves
My current research at Brown University focuses on how hydrological mechanisms and pathways may contribute to the larger set of geologic processes (e.g. uplift, erosion) that affect soil age and the availability of phosphorus in tropical landscapes. A fundamental question in our project is how does soil residence time vary between locations in different erosional environments and how that, in turn, affects soil fertility. We are exploring these questions in two contrasting tropical settings: the Guyana Shield in Venezuela and the Coto Brus Valley in southwestern Costa Rica, which occupy the extremes of erosion and uplift rates, and presumably, soil ages. We hope to contribute to the understanding of factors that affect the nutrient status of tropical forest and how these systems are going to respond to global change.

Regan Early
email: Regan_Early@Brown.edu
BA, 2002, Oxford University, UK; PhD, 2007, University of York, UK
My research concerns species range contractions and expansions; the mechanisms which drive them and their implications for conservation planning. I am interested in deriving principles from in depth studies and applying them to large-scale multi-species problems. I work with several environmental organizations to develop practical conservation plans which are scientifically informed.

Nickolay Hristov Link to personal website

Jennifer Knies

Daniel Riskin

Daniel K. Riskin Ph.D., Zoology, Cornell University, 2006. M.Sc., Biology, York University, 2000. B.Sc., Zoology, University of Alberta, 1997. I am interested in the way in which the bodies of different species are shaped by the biomechanical consequences of their divergent life histories. Bats are ideal for this system of study because while all >1,200 species share a body plan that permits flight, there are striking differences among them in almost every other aspect of behaviour and ecology. Previously, I have investigated the influence of morphology on roosting ecology, and on terrestrial locomotion. Since coming to Brown, I have focused on flight, with particular interest in how the body motions (kinematics) of bats differ among species with different body sizes and shapes. My personal website has more information about my research, along with some photos and movies of the bats that I love working with so much (http://www.noctilio.com).

Brian Sage
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, September 2004
e-mail: Brian_Sage@brown.edu
personal web page/CV

Research: I utilize Drosophila and cell culture to study the molecular mechanisms of aging. I am particularly interested in two factors that have been shown to influence aging across a variety of species, dietary restriction and the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway. My goal is to further elucidate the genes and pathways that result in these factors' affect on aging.

Gregory Sawicki
Ph.D., Kinesiology and Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor, 2007. Thesis title: “Mechanics and energetics of walking with powered exoskeletons” My post-doctoral research will focus on the mechanics, energetics and neural control of the muscle-tendon complex. I will use simple mechanical models to explore the role of tendon in shaping the muscle-length trajectory during cyclic contraction. Model predictions will be tested experimentally in (1) the human Achilles tendon-triceps surae complex (using ultrasound) and (2) the bullfrog Achilles tendon-plantaris complex (using direct measurements). My ultimate goal is to establish an academic research program using biological principles to develop better lower-limb robotic devices to assist both healthy and impaired human locomotion.-->Link to Greg's Website

Justin Schaefer

Juliet Simpson

My fundamental research interests lie in the interactions between humans and aquatic systems. I work primarily with plants and algae in wetlands, streams, and lakes, studying their responses to human perturbations such as nutrient enrichment, habitat alteration, and introduction of invasive species. Some of my past research has focused on:
• impacts of the invasive reed Phragmites australis on native salt marsh plants in New England;
• the cascading influence of nitrogen enrichment on plant communities in coastal wetlands in California;
• the physical, chemical, and biological changes generated in streams by urbanization;
• regulation and preservation of water quality in streams and rivers in central and southern California, where the needs of agriculture, native ecology, and rapidly growing human populations are increasingly coming into conflict over limited supplies of fresh water.

Eugenia Villa-Cuesta

Amity Wilczek: Ph.D. Harvard University, 2004. Thesis title: "The Roles of Life History and Environmental Heterogeneity in the Evolution of Maternal Effects in Plants."
e-mail: Amity_Wilczek@brown.edu
Research: My research interests lie in how plants integrate complex cues and signals into an environmentally appropriate response. For plants that occupy a wide range of habitats, what consitutes an appropriate response to a given environmental cue in one habitat may not be adaptive in another. My current research seeks to elucidate how geographic variation in selection pressures shapes plant response through a combination of phenotypic and genetic analyses. In the Schmitt Lab I am studying geographic variation in natural selection in the annual plant and genetic model system Arabidopsis thaliana, which has established successful populations throughout a wide geographic and climatic range in Europe, Asia and North America. Due to its broad habitat range, different populations of A. thaliana experience wildly different season lengths and growing temperatures. Arabidopsis thaliana shows substantial natural variation in germination timing, date and season of flowering and lifespan, but the exact geographic pattern of these life history traits and their consequences for fitness remain unclear. In collaboration with Arabidopsis laboratories at five field sites in Spain, Germany, England, and Finland (in Europe,) we will test the prediction that variation in climate favors different flowering responses in different regions. At each site and in multiple seasons we will measure fitness of a large set of genetically diverse lines including ecotypes drawn from throughout A. thaliana's range as well as controlled background genotypes harboring alternate alleles of key genes in flowering time pathways. These data will further our understanding of the geographic variation in natural selection on life history across the native range of Arabidopsis thaliana, the relationship between natural genetic variation and local adaptation, and the role that different developmental pathways play in shaping adaptive responses.

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