Dr Jen Bright
| Biography | I got into science via Palaeontology, because I was always interested in how and why evolution changes the shapes of animals over time. I studied Geology as an undergraduate, but during my PhD on biomechanical finite element validation, I realised that palaeontology could benefit from more data about modern animals, and started to drift towards the Biological Sciences; it’s also much easier to study living dinosaurs (birds) than it is to study extinct ones! I joined the University of Hull as a lecturer in Zoology in 2019, albeit one with a disproportionately high number of rocks in their office. |
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| Research Interests | I am broadly interested in the relationship between skeletal form and function throughout evolution, and the extent to which form can be used to predict function (or not…) in the feeding structures of extant and extinct animals. I am also interested in how the skeleton is constrained by non-functional factors, like evolutionary or developmental history. I look at these questions using birds as a study group, but because I’m probably more interested in the overarching themes than I am in the birds themselves (gasp!), I often find myself tinkering around in other animal groups where we could use the same computational methods to investigate a really interesting skeletal structure or evolutionary question. In particular, I use techniques like geometric morphometrics and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to try to understand form and function, respectively. An important aspect of this is ground-truthing finite element models with experimental bone strain and material properties data. For this, I team up with the Department of Engineering to conduct validation studies. I am currently PI on a BBSRC project alongside Co-I Pete Watson (University of Leeds) and PDRAs Phil Morris and Vaishakh Raju, looking at the evolution of cranial kinesis in birds, and how to model the mechanics of this computationally using FEA and Multibody Dynamics Analysis. |
| Teaching and Learning | I am the Programme Director for the Zoology degree, and module leader for Vertebrate Zoology (core for Zoology and Biology students, and optional for Marine Biologists). For final year Independent Research Project students, I offer projects investigating aspects of animal form and function. Depending on the project this may include learning geometric morphometrics methods or ways of measuring functional performance from skeletons or 3D computer models. |
| Scopus Author ID | 37032855300 |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | I work with PhD students interested in bird functional or morphological evolution, and/or finite element validation, and am currently supervising students working on bird cranial kinesis, bone mechanics, and evolution (Amber Wagstaffe, Callum Hill, and Sophie Pollard). I do not currently have projects to advertise, but am always keen to talk to prospective students about ways to work together to get funding for project ideas that they have. |