Dr. Charlie Woodrow
Charlie was a dedicated and very successful student in the lab. For several months he worked as lab technician taking care of insects colonies and assisting with acoustics and laser recordings. He is interested in various areas of biological research, which he had the chance to explore as an undergraduate student in Lincoln. His curiosity about insect acoustic communication brought him to the lab more than a year ago, as a volunteer, and later as a technician in charge of the insect colonies and experimental setups. During this time, in association with his student fellows Christian and Daniel, he described Speculophlugis hishquten, a highly transparent new genus and species of katydid from the Andes, and a model organism in our ERC. Charlie has just joined the lab as a PhD student, producing some 16 research papers derived from his PhD as well as other collaborations. Charlie integrated several techniques in his research, like micro-CT, surface scanning, Laser Doppler Vibrometry, 3D printing and Finite Element Analysis. Charlie enormously contributed to the field surveying large collection of Ensifera acoustic trachea and pinnae, demonstrating the complementary role of both structures to increase frequency hearing range.
Dr. Christian Pulver
Christian projects involved measuring the mechanical contribution of the multiple acoustic ports to a single ear (each ear receives input externally from two tympanic membranes and internally via the acoustic trachea). His experiments require a setup of three laser systems. Two portable laser units will record vibrations from each tympanum of one ear, while a micro-scanning LDV will record from the inner ear though transparent cuticle. These experiments will involved several katydid species with variable ear morphology to account for variability in the three ear components. His major contribution to the ERC project was the demonstration that scaled 3D printed ear models could be used for acoustic experiments to infer processes challenging to measured directly in the small structures of living specimens.
Dr. Eleftherios Siamantouras (2019-2023)
Eleftherios worked in the lab as a post-doctoral Research Associate aiming to advance nanotechnology & bio-instrumentation in the area of cell biology. He used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as a nano- and micro-scales force sensing platform to measure biological materials of the various components of the bush-cricket ears, for instance the tracheal tubes involved conducting sound, tympana membranes, and inner ear materials. His technique allowed us to assess the elastomeric protein resilin and chitin within the acoustic trachea taenidia.
Eleftherios worked in the lab as a post-doctoral Research Associate aiming to advance nanotechnology & bio-instrumentation in the area of cell biology. He used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as a nano- and micro-scales force sensing platform to measure biological materials of the various components of the bush-cricket ears, for instance the tracheal tubes involved conducting sound, tympana membranes, and inner ear materials. His technique allowed us to assess the elastomeric protein resilin and chitin within the acoustic trachea taenidia.
Thomas Dixon
Thomas thesis measured singing behaviour and wing resonances in alive males of several species of Ensifera (katydids and crickets), and will test how the wing mechanical properties will change after death and preservation. Tom will use standard acoustic equipment to record the calls of specimens from our colonies, and laser Doppler vibrometry to infer wing resonances in alive and death treatments.
Thomas thesis measured singing behaviour and wing resonances in alive males of several species of Ensifera (katydids and crickets), and will test how the wing mechanical properties will change after death and preservation. Tom will use standard acoustic equipment to record the calls of specimens from our colonies, and laser Doppler vibrometry to infer wing resonances in alive and death treatments.
Dr. Darron Cullen (2019-2023)
Darron joined the lab as a research fellow. He uses molecular biology to investigate insect behaviour, biomechanics and physiology. He completed his PhD (2007-11) at the University of Sydney with Prof. Steve Simpson and Prof. Greg Sword, and moved to the Department of Zoology in Cambridge (2011-14), as a Postdoctoral researcher working on locust behaviour and biomechanics with Dr. Swidi Ott, Dr. Steve Rogers and Prof. Malcolm Burrows. In 2014 he moved to KU Leuven, Belgium, to continue his work on locusts with Prof. Jozef Vanden Broeck. Darron held a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Research Foundation, Flanders (FWO) between 2015 and 2018. Subsequently he then returned to Cambridge (2018-19) to work with Dr. Jimena Berni to investigate the role of Hox genes during neuronal development in Drosophila.
Darron worked with Prof. Fernando Montealegre-Z (ERC grant) to investigate the molecular development and neurobiological functioning of the katydid hearing organ. Darron will also be involved in developing a method for dye loading of anatomical tracers into the auditory nerve of the bush-cricket ears, using suction electrodes attached to the nerve, to study the activation patterns of auditory afferents using calcium imaging techniques.
Darron joined the lab as a research fellow. He uses molecular biology to investigate insect behaviour, biomechanics and physiology. He completed his PhD (2007-11) at the University of Sydney with Prof. Steve Simpson and Prof. Greg Sword, and moved to the Department of Zoology in Cambridge (2011-14), as a Postdoctoral researcher working on locust behaviour and biomechanics with Dr. Swidi Ott, Dr. Steve Rogers and Prof. Malcolm Burrows. In 2014 he moved to KU Leuven, Belgium, to continue his work on locusts with Prof. Jozef Vanden Broeck. Darron held a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Research Foundation, Flanders (FWO) between 2015 and 2018. Subsequently he then returned to Cambridge (2018-19) to work with Dr. Jimena Berni to investigate the role of Hox genes during neuronal development in Drosophila.
Darron worked with Prof. Fernando Montealegre-Z (ERC grant) to investigate the molecular development and neurobiological functioning of the katydid hearing organ. Darron will also be involved in developing a method for dye loading of anatomical tracers into the auditory nerve of the bush-cricket ears, using suction electrodes attached to the nerve, to study the activation patterns of auditory afferents using calcium imaging techniques.
Dr. Oscar Guadayol (2021)
Oscar worked in the lab as a PDRA associate to our NSF-NERC grant, collaborated with Prof. Hojun Song (Texas), and Prof. Nathan Bailey (St. Andrews). Using his expertise in fluid dynamics, Oscar studied the biophysical properties of the inner ear fluid in varios species of bushcrickets. The amount of fluid enclosed in the bush cricket inner ear is very small (nanoliter level) and Oscar approached the problem of inferring the anisotropic properties and general fluid dynamics at such small scale using Microrheology.
Oscar is now an independent researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), Spain.
Oscar worked in the lab as a PDRA associate to our NSF-NERC grant, collaborated with Prof. Hojun Song (Texas), and Prof. Nathan Bailey (St. Andrews). Using his expertise in fluid dynamics, Oscar studied the biophysical properties of the inner ear fluid in varios species of bushcrickets. The amount of fluid enclosed in the bush cricket inner ear is very small (nanoliter level) and Oscar approached the problem of inferring the anisotropic properties and general fluid dynamics at such small scale using Microrheology.
Oscar is now an independent researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), Spain.
Dr. Emine Celiker (2018-2022)
Emine is a Mathematician. Her work has been on constructing and analysing highly-accurate numerical methods for the approximate solutions of elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations in complex geometries. These included problems in fluid dynamics such as two-phase flow problems, for which the numerical simulations were obtained using newly developed methods based on the conforming finite-element method. In the lab, she had the challenging talks of modelling the full hearing process in of bush crickets (or katydids), a non-linear biological system.
As part of the team in the Bioacoustics and Sensory Biology lab, she developed unique protocols for mathematical modelling and the numerical simulation of the workings of the inner ear of the bushcricket (katydid). Due to the unique structure of this bushcricket’s ear, which is very similar to the structure of the mammalian ear, Emine's work significantly advanced the field of hearing research, being the first numerical simulations that used accurate 3D geometries of the bushcricket ear, therefore will expand the array of insect-inspired technology. Emine was an associated researcher in our large-scale ERC consolidator grant, and is currently a Lecturer with the University of Leicester.
Emine is a Mathematician. Her work has been on constructing and analysing highly-accurate numerical methods for the approximate solutions of elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations in complex geometries. These included problems in fluid dynamics such as two-phase flow problems, for which the numerical simulations were obtained using newly developed methods based on the conforming finite-element method. In the lab, she had the challenging talks of modelling the full hearing process in of bush crickets (or katydids), a non-linear biological system.
As part of the team in the Bioacoustics and Sensory Biology lab, she developed unique protocols for mathematical modelling and the numerical simulation of the workings of the inner ear of the bushcricket (katydid). Due to the unique structure of this bushcricket’s ear, which is very similar to the structure of the mammalian ear, Emine's work significantly advanced the field of hearing research, being the first numerical simulations that used accurate 3D geometries of the bushcricket ear, therefore will expand the array of insect-inspired technology. Emine was an associated researcher in our large-scale ERC consolidator grant, and is currently a Lecturer with the University of Leicester.
Past postdoctoral researchers
Dr. Sarah Aldridge (2018-2019)
Sarah worked as the Lab’s 3D imaging specialist. She helped to build the imaging lab and developed method for mapping the bush-cricket auditory system. Sarah participated in a number of collaborations and in teaching our MBio students.
Sarah worked as the Lab’s 3D imaging specialist. She helped to build the imaging lab and developed method for mapping the bush-cricket auditory system. Sarah participated in a number of collaborations and in teaching our MBio students.
Dr. Thorin Jonsson (2014-2017)
Dr. Jonsson joined the lab in October 2014 as research associate in the project "The Evolution of Acoustic Communication in Fossil and Extant Insects" funded by the Leverhulme Trust. He used a combination of various bioengineering and comparative biological approaches to reconstruct the sound production mechanism in extinct species of katydids and relatives, and to infer the selective pressures that produced a cochlear-like auditory organs in katydids.
Thorin has been awarded a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship to explore further the numerical approch
to sound production by wing stridulation. And he will develop this research at the Karl‐Franzens‐University, Graz, Austria, in collaboration with the lab of Manfred Hartbauer.
Dr. Jonsson joined the lab in October 2014 as research associate in the project "The Evolution of Acoustic Communication in Fossil and Extant Insects" funded by the Leverhulme Trust. He used a combination of various bioengineering and comparative biological approaches to reconstruct the sound production mechanism in extinct species of katydids and relatives, and to infer the selective pressures that produced a cochlear-like auditory organs in katydids.
Thorin has been awarded a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship to explore further the numerical approch
to sound production by wing stridulation. And he will develop this research at the Karl‐Franzens‐University, Graz, Austria, in collaboration with the lab of Manfred Hartbauer.
Former visiting postdocs
Dr. Sandra Goutte (2016)
Dr. Goutte was a visiting researcher in the spring of 2016. She studied a group of Neotropical frogs of the genus Brachycephalus from Brazil, which lack a typical anuran tympanic ear, theoretically rendering them deaf. She published a major research paper derived from this research, in which we suggest that protection against predators conferred by their high toxicity might help to explain why calling has not yet disappeared, and that visual communication may have replaced auditory in these colourful, diurnal frogs
Dr. Sandra Goutte (2016)
Dr. Goutte was a visiting researcher in the spring of 2016. She studied a group of Neotropical frogs of the genus Brachycephalus from Brazil, which lack a typical anuran tympanic ear, theoretically rendering them deaf. She published a major research paper derived from this research, in which we suggest that protection against predators conferred by their high toxicity might help to explain why calling has not yet disappeared, and that visual communication may have replaced auditory in these colourful, diurnal frogs
Former PhD students
Dr. Fabio A. Sarria-S (2013-2017)
Fabio joined the lab in 2013 as a MPhil/PhD student under a University of Lincoln studentship, and he defended his PhD on Dec 5th, 2017. Fabio is interested in insect physiology, biomechanics and evolution of acoustic communication. His project focused on the biochemical composition of the katydid ear, and the non-invasive in-real-time measurement of the katydid inner ear. His research approach utilized a number of techniques including, laser Doppler vibrometry, µCT scanning, chromatography. The biochemical component of the project involved Dr. Jose González-Rodríguez expertise in this field, as second supervisor.
Dr. Benedict Chivers
Ben joined the lab in 2012 as an undergraduate project student. Then he progressed to more advanced degrees MSc and PhD student. His PhD was sponsored by a Leverhulme grant to FMZ, and he completed all requirements for graduation in May 2019. Ben specialised in biomechanics of stridulation and used a combination of techniques for all his work in this lab, from pharmacological stimulation to Laser Doppler Vibrometer. He was a successful stghjudent, and most of his research outputs completed as a BSc, MSc and PhD student were published in scientific journals.
Fabio joined the lab in 2013 as a MPhil/PhD student under a University of Lincoln studentship, and he defended his PhD on Dec 5th, 2017. Fabio is interested in insect physiology, biomechanics and evolution of acoustic communication. His project focused on the biochemical composition of the katydid ear, and the non-invasive in-real-time measurement of the katydid inner ear. His research approach utilized a number of techniques including, laser Doppler vibrometry, µCT scanning, chromatography. The biochemical component of the project involved Dr. Jose González-Rodríguez expertise in this field, as second supervisor.
Dr. Benedict Chivers
Ben joined the lab in 2012 as an undergraduate project student. Then he progressed to more advanced degrees MSc and PhD student. His PhD was sponsored by a Leverhulme grant to FMZ, and he completed all requirements for graduation in May 2019. Ben specialised in biomechanics of stridulation and used a combination of techniques for all his work in this lab, from pharmacological stimulation to Laser Doppler Vibrometer. He was a successful stghjudent, and most of his research outputs completed as a BSc, MSc and PhD student were published in scientific journals.
MSc students
Tom Dixon (2023)
Jacob Duncan (2022)
Daniel Veitch (2021)
Jessica Ogden (2017)
Benedict Chivers (2015)
Jacob Duncan (2022)
Daniel Veitch (2021)
Jessica Ogden (2017)
Benedict Chivers (2015)
Undergraduate students
Fintan MacAdam, 2022
Megan Parkes, 2022
Harris Stanley, 2021
Savannah Smith, 2021
Jacob Duncan, 2019
Georgea Buchanan, 2019
Robert Knapton, 2019
Daniel Veitch, 2018
Andrew Baker, 2017
Jessica Ogden, 2016
Kallum Buxton, 2015
Robert Yeo, 2014
Benedict Chivers, 2013
Callie S. Flack, 2013
Elise Gerber, 2013
Megan Parkes, 2022
Harris Stanley, 2021
Savannah Smith, 2021
Jacob Duncan, 2019
Georgea Buchanan, 2019
Robert Knapton, 2019
Daniel Veitch, 2018
Andrew Baker, 2017
Jessica Ogden, 2016
Kallum Buxton, 2015
Robert Yeo, 2014
Benedict Chivers, 2013
Callie S. Flack, 2013
Elise Gerber, 2013