Current Lab Members
Post-docs and Research Fellows
Dr Ben Griffin (Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Biomechanics).
Ben comes from New Zealand and completed a BSc and then an MSc at the University of Canterbury. Ben then did a PhD at Bristol, UK, quantitatively comparing pterosaur take-off hypotheses using range of motion and musculoskeletal modelling. Ben followed his PhD with a post-doc at Bristol investigating the changes in shark jaw morphology through time. Google Scholar Profile
Dr Andréas Jannel (Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Biomechanics)
Andréas completed a BSc at Université de Montpellier, followed by a dual MSc in France and Sweden at Uppsala Universitet. He earned a PhD at the University of Queensland, focusing on the biomechanics and evolution of the sauropod hind foot. He then held a postdoc at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, studying early tetrapod biomechanics from the German Bromacker locality.
Passionate about science communication, Andréas uses his graphic design and communication skills to help make scientific knowledge accessible and engaging for both academic audiences and the wider public.
Technical Staff
Natasha Prescott (Research Support Assistant – Palaeontology).
BSc Zoology, Manchester Metropolitan University, First Class. Dissertation in exploring traits linked with extinction risk in Dasyurid marsupials. Developed a keen interest in biomechanics, anatomy and evolution. Worked on projects looking at baculum morphology variation and using MRI to visualise architecture of fish body muscles.
Post-graduates (PhD + MPhil)
Rebecca Lowes (PhD): Evolution of the Avian foot
Rebecca received a first class BSc(Hons) in Veterinary Physiotherapy from Harper Adams University. She researched canine joint angles during swimming for her dissertation. Rebecca then worked as a canine hydrotherapist before joining the lab group to begin her PhD.
Katrina von Grouw: (PhD, University of Cambridge, co-supervised): Pelagornithidae bird evolution
Katrina is a British science author, illustrator and fine artist, best known for her illustrated natural science books The Unfeathered Bird and Unnatural Selection. She has degrees in Fine Art and Natural History Illustration
Rab Smyth (PhD, University of Leciester, co-supervised): ‘Pteraichnites’ and their implications for pterosaur terrestrial palaeoecology and evolution.
Rab has a BSc and MRes in Palaeontology. His PhD research focuses on pterosaur track record. He is particularly interested in what tracks can tell us about the locomotory abilities of pterosaurs, as well as the roles that they played within Mesozoic ecosystems. Google Scholar.
Emily Aitken (PhD, University of Liverpool, co-supervised). Tetrapod Neck Evolution: How Salamanders Use the Spine During Feeding.
Emily graduated with a First Class MSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Liverpool. Her third-year dissertation, focusing on the pectoral girdle’s function during suction feeding in rainbow trout, sparking her interest in biomechanics and 3D reconstruction. Now her PhD utilizes these approaches to investigate the evolution of the tetrapod spine, particularly in relation to feeding, throughout the water-to-land transition, using salamanders as a model organism.
Former Lab Members
Post-docs and Research Fellows
Dr Oliver Demuth (Research Fellow in Biomechanics). Oliver’s main research focuses on functional morphology, biomechanics and locomotion of archosaurs, as well as 3D modelling techniques. Google Scholar Profile.
Dr Jens Lallensack (German DFG fellowship) 2020 – 2022: Jens work on fossil tracks involves 3D analysis of trackways parameters to infer gaits of dinosaurs. Google scholar.
Dr Ikuko Tanaka (2016-2017): Bird footprints and locomotion (Japanese Research fellowship)
Post-grads
Dr Andrew Burgess: (PhD): Computational and physical modelling of the physics of powder flow during additive manufacturing (2020-2025). Andrew used computational methods to explore particle dynamics in powder-based additive manufacturing.
Dr Barbara Grant PhD (University of Liverpool, co-supervised): How are human gait and energetics modified when walking over substrates of varying compliance (2018-2023)
Barbara’s PhD examined metabolic cost and kinematics of humans walking over sand and other compliant substrates. Thesis.
Nathan Jackson MPhil: Quantifying 3D range of motion using off-the-shelf, low cost cameras (2019-2023)
Nathan used GoPros in combination with the XROMM wokflow to explore the viability of relatively low cost motion tracking systems. Thesis.
Dr Catherine Strickson PhD: Underfoot Pressure Equalisation as an Explanation for Extreme Heteropody(2016-2021). Cat’s PhD explores why quadrupedal animals sometimes have differently sized fore- and hind-limbs, and what this means for their biomechanics. Thesis. Google scholar
Dr Ryan Marek PhD (University of Liverpool, co-supervised): The Surrogate Arm: Functional Morphology of the Avian Cervical Column (2015-2020)
Ryan’s PhD examined regionalization and morphology of bird necks, using 3D geometric morphometrics. Thesis. Google scholar.
Dr Pernille Troelsen PhD: Hydrodynamics of Plesiosaur necks (2016 – 2019) Pernille’s PhD project was on exploring Plesiosaur biomechanics through digitization and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Thesis. Google Scholar.
Jordan Peters MRes (Royal Veterinary College, Co-supervised): Computational reconstruction of the giant rhinoceros Paraceratherium (2016-2017)
Previous Lab Visitors
Emanuele Peri: Erasmus student from Pisa, Italy, working on fossil whales
Previous undergraduate presentations and publications
- Clara Fraschini (2023) [Presented her work at SEB 2022]
- Shaleen Glasgow (2018) [Presented her work at SICB 2019]
- Lewis Finch (2017) [Presented his work at SEB 2017]
Prof. Peter L. Falkingham 