Biomechanics and Evolutionary Morphology
Professor Brainerd and her research group combine anatomical studies of the musculoskeletal system with principles and techniques from engineering to understand the mechanical basis of movement in animals. Current projects include: biomechanics of the temporomandibular joint, muscle architecture, intercostal muscle function, and the development of a new 3D imaging technology, X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology -- XROMM -- see www.xromm.org for more information.

These are exciting times in the field of vertebrate morphology. Imaging technologies such as high-resolution CT scanning, MRI, and laser scanning confocal microscopy are opening up vast worlds of cross-sectional and three-dimensional anatomy. In functional morphology and biomechanics, new tools for micrometry, force measurement, 3D flow visualization, 3D motion capture, and mathematical modeling are providing ever more sophisticated understandings of the interactions between morphology and environment. Studies of vertebrate functional morphology, biomechanics, paleontology, and development are poised at the edge of a revolution in our ability to capture and quantify complex morphology and function in 4D (3 spatial dimensions plus time), and to integrate our understandings of function, development, and evolution.

With my colleagues in the vertebrate morphology group at Brown, we are currently developing a 3D x-ray technology for visualizing rapid skeletal movement. This new technology, " X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) " combines static 3D data from CT scans with skeletal movement data from high-speed x-ray videos. XROMM produces highly accurate 3D animations of skeletal elements moving in space. These are more than stick figures--the complete 3D morphology of each bone is present and animated precisely with this technique. XROMM makes it possible to study many aspects of skeletal kinematics, such as long axis rotation of bones, putative bending of fine bones in small animals, and the relative 3D motions of the articular surfaces of joints that are inaccessible with other techniques. In addition, XROMM provides more accurate data for input into musculoskeletal models, such as joint angles for inverse dynamics and neural control models.

Faculty and students in our group are currently using XROMM to study jaw movement and temporomandibular joint function in pigs, joint and muscle forces in jumping frogs, feeding in ducks, suction feeding in fish, and foot ligament strain during locomotion in pigs.

2023-2024  NIH Subaward from Rhode Island Hospital, "Development of the Human Motion Analysis Data Portal" (1-year supplement to "Multi-Model Tracking of In Vivo Skeletal Structures and Implants."). Brown PI with RIH PI Trey Crisco. ($205,322)

2023-2025  National Science Foundation, Sustaining Biological Infrastructure, "Updating technical components to sustain XMAPortal and ZMAPortal for the comparative biomechanics research community." Sole PI. ($264,144).

2020-2025  National Science Foundation, “Major Research Instrumentation: Development of microXROMM for high-resolution X-ray motion imaging of small animals.” PI with co-PI Matthew Fuxjager. ($1,307,504)

2020-2023  National Science Foundation, “Broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM through the virtual components of the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.” PI with Co-PI Judy Kimberly. ($27,781)

2018-2022  NSF Graduate Research Fellowship funding for my doctoral students: Yordano Jimenez, Elska Kaczmarek, Jeremy J. Lomax, Hannah Weller.

2018-2023  HHMI James H. Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study.  Awarded to Jeremy J. Lomax (doctoral student) and mentor E.L. Brainerd.

2017-2020  National Science Foundation, Advances in Biological Informatics. “ABI Sustaining: Maintenance of the XMA/ZMAPortal video data management systems and XMALab video motion analysis software for the comparative biomechanics community”

2017-2020  National Science Foundation, Integrative Organismal Systems. “Determining the source of muscle power for suction feeding in ray-finned fishes.” PI with co-PI Ariel Camp.

2017-2020  National Science Foundation, Advances in Biological Informatics. “ABI Sustaining: Maintenance of the XMA/ZMAPortal video data management systems and XMALab video motion analysis software for the comparative biomechanics community.”

2016-2018  National Science Foundation, Environmental Biology. “DDIG: Experimental miniaturization of guppy offspring.” Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant with doctoral student Terry Dial. 

2013-2016  National Science Foundation, Advances in Biological Informatics. "Integrated X-Ray Motion Analysis Software and Video Data Management for the Comparative Biomechanics Community."

2011-2014 National Science Foundation, Integrative Organismal Systems. "Rib Kinematics and Intercostal Muscle Function in Amniotes."

2010-2014 National Science Foundation, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. "Collaborative Research: QSTORM: Switchable Quantum Dots and Adaptive Optics for Super-Resolution Imaging."

2009-2014 National Science Foundation, Integrative Organismal Systems. "RCN: A Research Coordinaton Network for X-ray Motion Analysis."

2006-2009 National Science Foundation, Instrument Development for Biological Research Program. "Hardware and Software Development for 3D Visualization of Rapid Skeletal Motion in Vertebrate Animals."

2003-2007 National Science Foundation, Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology Program. "Biomechanics of segmented axial musculature in salamanders and fishes."

1999-2005 National Science Foundation, Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology Program. "CAREER: Lung ventilation in lizards and the evolution of amniote respiratory mechanisms"

1999-2003 National Science Foundation, Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology. "UMEB: Preparing Students for Careers in Environmental Biology, a Massachusetts Partnership." (E. Brainerd PI and Executive Director; B. Jakob, F. Juanes and S. Prattis, Co-PIs and Co-Directors)

1997-1998 National Science Foundation, POWRE Program. "How to circumvent a mechanical constraint: gular pump breathing during locomotion in monitor lizards"

1995-1999 National Science Foundation, Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology Program. "Exhalation Mechanics and the Evolution of Aspiration Breathing in Tetrapods"

See Googe Scholar Profile for most current list of publications.

2020 Fellow, American Association for Anatomy

2021 Joseph S. Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in Ichthyology

2023 Bidder Prize Lecture, Society for Experimental Biology

2019 Distinguished Research Achievement Award, Brown University

2018 Gilliam Fellowship Mentor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

2016 Elected President, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

2015 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring

2013 Elected President, International Society of Vertebrate Morphology

2004 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

1999-2004 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation

1996-1997 Lilly Teaching Fellowship, University of Massachusetts Amherst

1990-1993 Junior Fellowship, Harvard University Society of Fellows

American Association for the Advancement of Science (Fellow)
American Association for Anatomy (Fellow)
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
International Society of Vertebrate Morphology
Sigma Xi
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Society for Experimental Biology

Undergraduate course teaching experience: Comparative Anatomy, Comparative Physiology, Human Physiology, Introductory Biology, Biology of Social Issues. Graduate Courses: Muscle Architecture and Biomechanics, Evolution and Development, Microevolution and Macroevolution, Systematics and Tree Thinking. Medical Education: Human Anatomy for first-year medical students. Mentoring: 7 doctoral students and 5 MS students have completed graduate degrees in my research group, and in my career I have supervised the independent research projects of over 50 undergraduate students.