Dr. Yordano Jimenez

Teaching

Comparative Anatomy with Lab (BIO 201/201L)

Human Anatomy with Lab (BIO 205/205L)

Special Topics: Biomimicry

Special Topics: Comparative Biomechanics

Research (BIO 395/396/495/496)

Research

Our lab studies the mechanical diversity of muscle — how animals with radically different body plans produce elegant and explosive movements. We work across three systems: alligators, whose tail muscles power both walking and swimming; lobsters, which use helical muscles to escape predators; and fish, whose anatomically segregated red and white muscle fibers let us easily isolate and study their properties. Across these systems, we ask how the form and physiology of muscle enable the athleticism of animals: how muscle groups work collectively, why fibers have diverse shapes, and when animals switch their muscles on. Evolution has shaped these creatures over hundreds of millions of years, sometimes leading to strikingly similar solutions and sometimes to surprisingly unique ones. Our research uncovers the rules of animal movement — rules that also offer insights for the next generation of bio-inspired design.

Interested in joining the Jimenez Lab?

Email me with the subject line “Interested in joining your research lab.” Please include your year and major, roughly how many hours a week you could commit, and a sentence or two about which of our systems interests you and why.