People
Prof. Walter Federle
Professor of Comparative Biomechanics
I am leader of the Insect Biomechanics Group. I am interested in how animals work, and what physical factors play an important role for their biology and interactions with other organisms. Our current focus is on the functional morphology and biomechanics of insects, on surface attachment mechanisms in animals, and insect-plant interactions.
Charlotte Andrew
PhD Student
Monami Bhuyan
PhD Student
Ritabrata Chowdhury
PhD Student
Viggo Rey
PhD Student
Kaiyue Wu
PhD Student
Former Students
- Dr Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery
- Dr Ulrike Bauer
- Dr Adam Robinson
- Dr David Labonte
- Dr Yanmin Zhou
- Dr Karin Moll
- Dr Hanns Hagen Goetzke
- Dr Ardian Jusufi
- Mathias Scharmann
- Dr Ed Barrett
- Dr Alexander Hackman
- Elmar Hackmann
- Kerstin Tüchert
- Ming-he Li
- Simon Chen
- Declan Foy
Collaborators
- Prof Ulmar Grafe (Universiti Brunei Darussalam)
- Dr Faizah Metali (Universiti Brunei Darussalam)
- Dr Wei-Ning Fang (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge)
- Dr Oscar Branson (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge)
- Andrew te Water Naude (Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge)
- Prof Ian Wilson (Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge)
- Dr Skylar Johnson (Mechanical Ecology Group, University of Exeter)
- Dr Ulrike Bauer (Mechanical Ecology Group, University of Exeter)
- Dr Christine Miller, Professor of Biotic Interactions (University of Cambridge)
Charlotte Andrew
PhD Student
Studying fluid dynamics in Nepenthes pitcher plants, namely pitcher response to rainfall and the mechanical adaptations of pitcher infauna.
Monami Bhuyan
PhD Student
With a background in mechanical engineering, my research encompasses various mechanical testing methods for investigating the role of insect cuticular lipid layers in different biological functions such as waterproofing, lubrication, and adhesion.
Ritabrata Chowdhury
PhD Student
I am currently studying the biomechanics and evolution of insect-plant interactions, by comparing the Heliconiine-Passiflora and the Macaranga-ant model systems. My PhD is co-supervised by Dr. Erika C. P. de Castro and Professor Christopher Jiggins.
Kaiyue Wu
PhD Student
I study the biomechanics of underwater adhesion in diving beetles (Dytiscidae), focusing on the performance of male sucker setae and their mechanical interaction with the rough surfaces of females. My research also explores the functional advantages of these suction organs and provides insights for the design of bio-inspired suction devices.