This project is awarded under the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biological Informatics Program for 2006. This interdisciplinary research combines modern computational techniques with existing experimental data to investigate control strategies for stable bipedal running. The research involves creation of a simplified computer model of a chicken-sized ground bird, the guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), that includes elements of the nervous system, the musculo-skeletal system and their interaction. The guinea fowl is an ideal model system for this research because it is a capable runner and extensively studied animal in experimental locomotor mechanics and neuromuscular physiology. A large body of experimental data is available to validate the model and test specific control hypotheses. The research bridges an important gap in our understanding of how body mechanics and neural control interact to create stable and agile movement over rough terrain.
This postdoctoral fellowship provides an opportunity to learn computational tools that complement the Fellow's expertise in experimental physiology and biomechanics. Training in the lab of Daniel Ferris at the University of Michigan will include techniques in computer simulation, nonlinear dynamic modeling, and control theory. The Fellow interacts with researchers in engineering, mathematics and computer science that are likely to develop into long-term interdisciplinary collaborations. Additionally, the fellowship provides an opportunity to develop a new research tool that facilitates new discovery at the interface between neural control and biomechanics. The model also provides a new educational resource for undergraduate and graduate students in biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, and neuroscience.
