Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY2001

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This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY2001. The fellowship supports research and training at the postdoctoral level at the intersection of biology and the informational, computational, mathematical, and statistical sciences. The goal of the fellowship is to provide training to a young scientist in preparation for a career in biological informatics in which research and education will be integrated. There is an increasing need for training in biological informatics at all occupational levels, and it is expected that Fellows trained through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.The research and training plan for this fellowship is entitled "How dinosaur locomotion evolved: Using 3D computer models to test biomechanical hypotheses." This research constructs realistic 3D computer models to visualize the physics of hindlimb muscle function in an alligator, chicken, and three extinct theropod dinosaurs. These models permit the testing of hypotheses like "Could Tyrannosaurus run?" and "How did the bipedal stance of birds evolve?" with new analytical rigor.