Biology Research: Chris Sanford and Kevin Jagnandan

Dr. Chris Sanford and former graduate student Kevin Jagnandan’s recent paper [PDF] on Kevin’s thesis work was featured on the cover of the Journal of Experimental Zoology. Their work involved Biomimetics, which in this case involves improving the efficiency of autonomous underwater vehicles by studying how fish swim. Sanford’s lab uses a new laser system to investigate hydrodynamic efficiency in fishes, using computational modeling, 3D models and experimental data. Their paper is the first investigation of fish that use “ribbon‑fin propulsion”; a highly efficient swimming method without bending the body. Work in Sanford’s lab is the direct result of recent awards from the National Science Foundation to renovate Gittleson Hall and the Multi-User Animal Research Facility as well as a NSF equipment grant and funds provided by Hofstra University. Kevin is now pursuing his PhD in functional morphology at University of California Riverside.