Kelsey Lucas
Positions
Assistant Professor
Contact information
Web presence
Phone number
Office: 403.220.7202
Location
Office: BI286B
Background
Educational Background
PhD Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University,
MA Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University,
BSc Biology, Roger Williams University,
Research
Areas of Research
I am fascinated by how the amazing behaviors marine and aquatic animals do arise from the inner workings of their bodies and the physical laws that govern them. My research program seeks to extend our understanding of fish ecology by integrating swimming biomechanics with the context in which these biomechanics evolved, and my students and I explore the following themes: (1) how body shape and swimming movements together dictate the swimming forces a fish can produce, (2) how inter- and intraspecific variation in swimming mechanics influences behavior and energetics, (3) how swimming specializations affect potential habitat occupancy, and hence (4) how swimming ability, relative to other factors, influences fish habitat selection. Our understanding of how aquatic species interact with their habitats enables us to provide potential biomimetic solutions for unmanned underwater vehicle design challenges, as well as understanding what impacts change in freshwater systems have on the fishes found there.
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| ZOOL 403 | An Introduction to Vertebrate Zoology | Fall |
| ZOOL 461 | Animal Physiology I | Fall |
| ZOOL 463 | Animal Physiology II | Winter |
| ZOOL 515 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | Winter |
| BIOL 530B | Honours Research Project in Biological Sciences | Wineter |
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