Emily M. Standen
Papers
2
Total Citations
5
H-Index
2
About
Emily M. Standen is a leading researcher in comparative biomechanics and neurobiology, whose work bridges the gap between evolutionary biology and robotics to understand how animals move on land and in water. Her primary research areas focus on the neural control of locomotion, the evolution of terrestrial movement in fish, and the interplay between morphology and sensory feedback. Standen’s major contributions include demonstrating how multisensory feedback from the body and environment enables spinal circuits to generate robust swimming and even terrestrial crawling after injury—a finding with profound implications for neurorehabilitation. Her 2025 study on multisensory feedback in elongate fish, which has already garnered 3 citations, shows that spinal-transected fish can still produce coordinated locomotion, challenging traditional views of central pattern generators. In parallel, her work with the Polymander robot—a reconfigurable platform mimicking the walking gaits of Polypterus—has revealed how subtle changes in body shape and limb placement dramatically affect terrestrial performance. By integrating live animal experiments with robotic models, Standen provides a powerful framework for understanding the evolutionary transition from water to land. Her innovative, interdisciplinary approach continues to inspire new directions in both evolutionary biology and bio-inspired robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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