University of California Irvine Sept. 2017 - June 2022
Graduate Researcher
I plunged into the world of physiology and biomechanics and quickly began designing and running experiments to understand how people and animals move effectively across a wide array of surface conditions. Much of my early work was done understanding how surface compliance (springiness) affects the motion, impact forces, and effort to move in a model animal system. I picked up analytic skills by learning to code, perform statistical tests, and do more complex calculations like inverse dynamics and apply machine learning techniques to utilize large datasets. You can peruse my PhD projects in my portfolio and read more in-depth from my published work (see below). Publication Duman, A., & Azizi, E. (2023). Hindlimb muscle spindles inform preparatory forelimb coordination prior to landing in toads. Journal of Experimental Biology, 226(2), jeb244629. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.244629 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Aug. 2014 - May 2017
Undergraduate Researcher
During my time in Dr. Rhanor Gillette's lab another undergrad and I successfully raised Octopus bimaculoides in land-locked Illinois (check out our website for more about our experience). I also spearheaded a project to determine whether Octopus rubescens store tactile memory in their peripheral nervous system. My Senior thesis focused on discovering how another slimy sea creature, Pleurobranchaea californica, controls acid secretion which is its primary defense mechanism because it lacks a hard shell. |
Sub 5 Performance Center Apr. 2011 - Sept. 2017
Biomechanics Instructor
During my time at Sub 5, I calculated individualized squat programs for athletes to perform specific goals in their running events I successfully trained three athletes to hit their goal time in 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and 3-mile races. Additionally, I tracked and recorded the power and work performance of dozens of athletes to help predict future workout programs through Google sheets. At the annual Sub 5 Running Camp I led discussions centered on the intersection of physiology and physics and how they govern human movement. I followed these talks with interactive drill sessions in groups of up to 50 youth athletes where they could discover hands-on how the physical principles we discussed affect their movement. |