Dr Shane Windsor
Biomechanics Postdoctoral Researcher
I am fascinated by how animals fly and swim so elegantly. Coming from a mechanical engineering background I am constantly impressed by the agility and speed with which animals move. I am interested in learning how animals sense their surroundings and then process this information to control their movement.
I first studied for a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Then as a researcher at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute I developed tools for orthopaedic surgery and methods for measuring the mechanical properties of cancellous bone. Following this I studied for a PhD in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland under the supervision of Prof John Montgomery. My thesis looked at the mechanics behind how blind Mexican cave fish are able to use fluid flows to sense their surroundings.
Following my PhD I moved to Oxford University. As a postdoctoral researcher I developed software for measuring the flow of cytoplasm within cells based on time lapse microscopy. Now, working with Dr Graham Taylor, I am currently looking at how insects control their flight based on the different information encoded by their numerous arrays of sensory organs.