IMSI is proud to announce the participation of our distinguished faculty and talented students at the upcoming Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) 2025 Annual Meeting. This event brings together leading researchers and emerging scholars to share groundbreaking work in biology and related disciplines. IMSI representatives will be presenting their latest findings, contributing to symposia, and leading discussions that highlight the depth and innovation of our institute’s research. Below, you’ll find the schedule of presentations and talks featuring our IMSI community members. We hope to see you there!

The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology – Atlanta, GA, 3-7 January, 2025 – Meeting Website

Saturday, January 04

9:30 – 9:45 am

Location: A704

Exploring variations in bobcat (Lynx rufus) locomotion across varied environmental conditions

Katrina Moore

Navigating environments

Concurrent session

11:00-11:15 am

International Salon 10

μCT of hawkmoths and silk moths reveals distinct muscle morphologies for hovering vs. bobbing flight

Joanna Baker

Flapping from big to small

Concurrent session 

2:00-2:15 pm

International Salon 6

Effects of early-life exercise on tendon morphological and mechanical properties

Apolo Ibanez Rincon

Muscle Ch-ch-ch-changes

Concurrent session

2:15 – 2:30 pm

International Salon 6

Performance enhancing drug? Effects of genipin on rat muscle-tendon units

Miles Miguel Valencia

Muscle Ch-ch-ch-changes

Concurrent session 

3:30-5:30

Atrium Ballroom, P1-60

Individual Mechanisms of Balance Control: Modulating Lower Leg Stiffness in Humans

Lauren Infantino

Morphology and Mechanics

Poster session

3:30-5:30 pm

Atrium Ballroom, P1-140

Machine Learning for Estimating In Vivo Muscle Force in Rat Plantarflexors

Shu Gong

Steven Vogel Best Student Poster Competition

Poster session

3:30 – 5:30 pm

Atrium Ballroom, P1-67

Influence of Variation in Individual Capacity on Balance Performance in Walking

Nishita Vaddella & Ilana Plager

Session Step in time: control of locomotion 

Poster session

3:30 – 5:30 pm

Atrium Ballroom, P1-59

Effect of countermovement depth on jump performance in guinea fowl

Cesar Jacques Ibarra & Ava Sirignano

Session: Step in time: control of locomotion

Poster session

Sunday, January 5

3:30 -5:30 pm

Atrium Ballroom, P2-170

Material Properties of Kangaroo and Lab Rat Tail Tendons 

Kelli Chung

Step in time: control of locomotion

Poster Session

3:30 – 5:30 pm 

Atrium Ballroom, P2-171

Effects of Genipin on Tendon Mechanical Properties

Hanna Chow

Session: Step in time: control of locomotion

Poster Session

Monday, January 6

8:30-8:45 am

Location: A703

The evolution of the muscle-tendon unit in mice selected for high levels of voluntary wheel running

Natalie Holt

Morphology and Mechanics

Special Session

8:30– 8:45 am

International Salon 2-3

Predictive simulation of quadrupedal gaits using proximal policy optimization

Jacob Hackett

Mechanisms of movement

Concurrent session      

9:00 – 9:15 am

Location: A703

Characterizing the variation in muscle force-length dynamics during in vivo non-steady locomotion

Monica Daley

Morphology and Mechanics

Special session

Tuesday, January 7

8:00–8:15 am

International Salon 2-3

Dissecting contributions of strain and frequency interactions to force and work of mouse EDL muscles

Katelyn Manross

Big stretch (muscle strain)

Concurrent session      

8:15 – 8:30 am

International Salon 2-3

These strain transients were made for walking: analyzing dynamic locomotion work modulation

Caitlin Bemis

Big stretch (muscle strain)

Concurrent session

8:30-8:45 am

International Salon 2-3

Titin is an active suspension in muscle that harvests energy from environmental interactions

Kiisa Nishikawa

Morphology and Mechanics

Concurrent Session

8:30-8:45 am

International Salon 6

Advantages of centralized neuromechanical control architectures for locomoting on rough terrain

Ellen Liu

Walking weirdly

Concurrent session      

8:45-9:00 am

Location: A707

The fecal fling: Spring-powered frass ejection in skipper caterpillars

Jeffrey Olberding

Morphology and Mechanics

Concurrent Session

9-9:15 am

International Salon 2-3

The effects of stretching on the viscoelastic properties of the muscle-tendon unit

Skylar Taylor

Morphology and Mechanics

Concurrent session

10:15 – 10:30 am

Location: A704

Dissecting the contributions of neural activation and strain trajectories to muscle force production

Carissa Mallonee

(Muscle) Work it real good

Concurrent session

10:15-10:30 am

International Salon 10

Exoskeleton influence on primary afferent feedback in-vivo

Amro Alshareef

Neurobiology and Behavior

Concurrent Session 

10:30 – 10:45 am

Location:  A704

In vivo muscle-tendon dynamics in response to a novel substrate perturbation during bipedal running

Brooke Christensen

(Muscle) Work it real good

Concurrent session

11:00 – 11:15 am

Location:  A704

Force awakens: exploring reinnervated guinea fowl force-frequency dynamics

Rubi Tapia Rayo

(Muscle) Work it real good

 Concurrent session

11:15 –11:30 am

International Salon 10

A simple, interpretable model for movement simulation with biological limitations and uncertainties

Hansol Ryu

Movement, coordination, and learning

Concurrent session  

11:30-11:45 am

Location: A704

Making a moth flap like a fly with virtual reality for muscle physiology

Ethan Wold

Morphology and Mechanics

Concurrent Session

3:30-5:30 pm

Atrium Ballroom – P4-33

Asymmetric morphology in bird knees suggest a passive stabilizing mechanism unique to birds) –

Skylar Taylor

Morphology and Mechanics

Poster session