Ellie Heckscher
We study the development, function and evolution of somatosensory and motor systems using insect larvae as models.
We study the development, function and evolution of somatosensory and motor systems using insect larvae as models.
We study the physics of how biological systems interact with their environments, as well as the role of these interactions in shaping organismal morphology and behavior.
We use a range of theoretical and empirical (laboratory + field) techniques to answer questions that sit at the intersection of behavior, biophysics, and evolution.
We work on problems across organismal systems and levels of biological organization. While the underlying mechanisms (and the techniques we use to study them) may vary as we shift our focus from molecular motors to bacteria to animals, the larger questions we are fascinated by remain the same!
Our research provides ample opportunities for undergraduate engagement. Please email Jasmine at jnirody@uchicago.edu to discuss options!
PI looking for undergraduate research volunteers. My lab is a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary lab that combines the physical sciences, engineering, and surgery. We study aortic pathologies, stability and failure of endovascular repairs, stress focusing phenomena induced by surgical interventions, and interfacial adhesion, surface renewal, and topography.
Surgery is anatomy. Anatomy is geometry. Geometry is the heart of mechanics.
SurgBioMech Lab studies the geometry and biomechanics of surgical anatomies and biological interfaces.