THE SOCHA LAB
Organismal biomechanics & bio-inspired engineering
Lab members
Currently working in the lab. Click here for previous members.
Dr. Jake Socha
Principal Investigator
I am a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. I am also a member of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, an affiliate of VT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Biological Sciences, a member of VT’s Integrative Organismal Biology group, and the director of Virginia Tech’s BIOTRANS program. I also serve as Associate Editor for the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Postdocs
Mary Salcedo
Postdoctoral fellow
Dr. Salcedo is a postdoc in the lab, supported by an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB). Mary earned her Ph.D. in the Department of Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, co-advised by L. Mahadevan and Stacey Combes (U.C. Davis), studying the biomechanics of insect wings. She did her bachelor's degree in biology at U. Washington, and at one point worked with Tom Daniel. In our lab, Mary is working on circulation in insects, among other things.
Graduate students
Talia Weiss
Ph.D. candidate
Talia is a graduate student in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, studying locomotion at the water interface in animals. Talia earned her bachelor's in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. She is also a member of the BIOTRANS program.
Michelle Graham
Ph.D. candidate
Michelle is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, studying the gap-crossing movements of flying snakes. Michelle earned a bachelor's degree in physics and philosophy from Oxford University. She is also the executive director of Wild Animal Initiative, a nonprofit organization that promotes research into wild animal welfare.
Josh Pulliam
Ph.D. student
Josh is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, whose research focuses on how animals climb i arboreal environments. Josh earned dual degrees in applied physics from Morehouse College and mechanical engineering from Auburn University.
Undergraduates
Terrell analyzed high-speed video footage of ducks landing on water, and also helped collect experimental data in the field.
Mascots
Kylan
Teen 1
Kylan goes to school, runs track, plays soccer, and does theater.
Beckett
Teen 2
Beckett goes to school, plays soccer, and sometimes does theater.