Yu Zeng Ph.D.

Hi, I’m Yu Zeng 曾昱. I’m a biologist based in the University of South Florida at Tampa, Florida.

Research

Biomechanics, architecture and evolution of organismal designs.

My research investigates how the interplay between physical laws and organisms generates the vast diversity of organismal designs, such as flapping wings, legs and other appendicular systems used for flying, maneuvering and feeding in air, on land or at the liquid-air interfaces.

Main themes:

• Evolution and biomechancis of flight in insects, which also involves aerial maneuvers and gliding without wings. The model systems include stick insects (Phasmatodea) and other arthropods.
• Mechanisms of appendage-mediated rapid performances, especially in feeding and predator-prey interactions.

A wingless stick insect nymph glides toward a vertical black stripe after being dropped.

Education

I received my Ph.D. in Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley.
I was co-advised by Robert Dudley & David Wake.

Reviewed for

• Bioinspiration & Biomimetics
• eLife
• Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution
• Integrative and Comparative Biology
• Integrative Zoology
• iScience
• Journal of Experimental Biology
• Journal of Insect Sciences
• Journal of Comparative Physiology
• PeerJ
• Physical Review Letters
• PLOS ONE
• Scientific Reports
• Zoomorphology

Email

zeng @ berkeley.edu
dreavoniz @ berkeley.edu
yuzeng @ usf.edu
(Note: yzeng7 @ ucmerced.edu is defunct)