Dr Simon Walker

Profile

I studied Biological Sciences at University of Oxford (2000-2003) and continued there doing first a DPhil (2003-2008) and then Postdoctoral Research (2008-2013). In 2013 I was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to study the biomechanics of insect flight. In 2017 I transferred my Fellowship to University of Leeds where I also took up a University Academic Fellowship in Biomechanics within the School of Biomedical Sciences.

Research interests

My research aims to open a window upon one of nature’s most intractable biomechanical systems, the insect flight motor. In doing so it will inform us about the evolution of flight and how natural selection has shaped the form and function of insect wings and bodies across taxa. It will also provide inspiration to engineers aiming to create bio-inspired micro-robotics and more generally towards the design and control of micromechanical systems. The state-of-the-art measurement and analysis techniques that I have developed and refined can likewise be applied to other research areas to advance the wider field of biomechanics.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

• Royal Society University Research Fellow
• Dphil, Zoology
• BA, Biological Sciences

Student education

Undergraduate project topics

Biomechanics of movement

Neuromuscular control

 

Postgraduate studentship areas

Insect flight

Visual system

Muscular control

Comparative biomechanics

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>