We work on the biomechanics and control of motor behavior in humans and other animals. Our work spans the areas of mechanics, dynamics, robotics, biomedical engineering, as well as comparative and evolutionary biomechanics. We apply principles of mechanics, both mathematical and experimental, to understand how the mechanical design and material properties of our bodies help or hinder the ability to control it. Applications of our work include human health and biologically inspired design of robotic or prosthetic devices.

Openings

Multiple openings are available:

We believe that cultural diversity breeds scientific creativity and strongly support equal opportunities for everyone.

  • Ph.D. students (2 openings). The ideal candidate will have a strong inclination towards applied mathematics, mechanics, and experimental work with biological organisms. Ph.D. students are expected to develop their own problem, with some alignment with other research areas in my group.
  • Postdoc positions (2 openings) in physical applied mathematics and engineering mechanics. Funded projects include mudskipper biomechanics and the mechanics of deformable skins. The salary will be commensurate with experience and include benefits.
  • Project Coordinator at Yale. This position is for someone with a Ph.D. or six years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and related experience. More details are available here.

Recent publications

Journal Article
Venkadesan M, Yawar A, Eng CM, Dias MA, Singh DK, Tommasini SM, et al. Stiffness of the human foot and evolution of the transverse arch. Nature. 2020;579(7797):97 - 100.
Dhawale N, Mandre S, Venkadesan M. Dynamics and stability of running on rough terrains. Royal Society Open Science. 2019;6:181729.
Nguyen KD, Sharma N, Venkadesan M. Active Viscoelasticity of Sarcomeres. Frontiers in Robotics and AI. 2018;5.  (975.7 KB)
Nguyen K, Yu N, Bandi MM, Venkadesan M, Mandre S. Curvature-induced stiffening of a fish fin. Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 2017;14(130):20170247.
Venkadesan M, Mahadevan L. Optimal strategies for throwing accurately. Royal Society Open Science. 2017;4(4):170136.
Book Chapter
Venkadesan M, Bandi MM, Mandre S. Biological feet: Evolution, mechanics and applications. In Bioinspired Legged Locomotion: Models, Concepts, Control and Applications (ed. M. Sharbafi and A. Seyfarth). Elsevier Science; 2017.
Conference Paper
Srinivasan A, Venkadesan M. Polynomial mechanics and optimal control. In 2015 European Control Conference. Linz, Austria: IEEE; 2015.  (428.97 KB)
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