PhD Studentships |
Current Scholarships
Comparative sensory biomechanics of locomotion in horses, dogs, and insects
Supervisors: Dr Andrew Spence (aspence@rvc.ac.uk), Dr John Hutchinson, Dr Monica Daley and Dr Thomas Witte
Department: Veterinary Basic Sciences
This PhD will examine how sensory input is used by the nervous system to control legged locomotion. It will take a comparative approach that focuses on animals with four or more legs, and will include dogs, horses, and insects. This research has benefits in basic and applied neuroscience (how does ataxia result in unstable locomotion, and how can we better diagnose and rehabilitate patients with neurological problems?), engineering (how do we build more agile robots?), and basic biology (how has evolution shaped animal locomotion?).
Past research has found that the locomotor neural control architecture is hierarchical, with different aspects of control handled by the brain, spinal networks, muscles, and physics of the limbs in interaction with the environment. Recent computer modelling studies have proposed that the goal achieved by this hierarchy may be for a running animal’s legs to act like springs that are controlled at the hip, such that the feet match the desired speed of locomotion. This studentship will investigate this and other competing mechanistic control hypotheses, using data from clinical gait analysis, basic neuroscience, computer modelling, and novel experiments. Larger animals (dogs, horses) will provide systems in which diagnosed neurological conditions can be used to elucidate healthy control mechanisms and to understand the effects of damage to the control architecture. Insects will provide a model system in which the nervous system can be experimentally manipulated and large perturbations to the moving animal are possible. Data from these systems will be compared and integrated.
The project will involve capturing kinetic, kinematic, and electrophysiological data from moving animals using animal mounted backpacks, optical motion capture, force plates, and electromyography (EMG), in addition to computer modelling. A technical background is not essential but a good degree in a biological, engineering, veterinary or allied discipline, coupled with enthusiasm, are.
References:
- Ishihara, A., S. M. Reed, et al. (2009). Use of kinetic gait analysis for detection, quantification, and differentiation of hind limb lameness and spinal ataxia in horses. J Am Vet Med Assoc 234(5): 644-651.
- Prochazka, A., Yakovenko, S. and Cisek, T.D. (2007) The neuromechanical tuning hypothesis. In: Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier. pp 255-265.
- Herr, H.M., Huang, G.T. and McMahon, T.A. (2002) A model of scale effects in mammalian quadrupedal running. Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 959-967.
The deadline for applications is Friday 12th February 2010.
Interview Dates:
Friday 12th March 2010 (Hawkshead Campus)
Tuesday 16th March 2010 (Camden Campus).
See the main Studentships page for application details and further information.