Presidential Young Investigator Award

基尔博士计划继续对缺乏脊椎动物(鱼类、鸟类和哺乳动物)的典型骨骼内骨骼或螃蟹和昆虫的硬外骨骼的动物的骨骼和肌肉系统进行形态和生物力学分析。这些生物体使用错综复杂的肌肉组合，相互作用或对抗体腔内液体的静水压力来产生僵硬。哺乳动物(包括人类)利用类似的元素来移动和使用舌头、大象的鼻子，以及阴茎和乳头的勃起，等。基尔博士计划将他的大部分研究集中在高度机动和精致控制的鱿鱼和卡特鱼的肌肉结构上触角将在假肢设计和机器人领域有实际应用。更重要的是，这些结果将为这些系统的组织提供洞察力，并阐明控制其操作的行为和神经机制。

Dr. Kier plans to continue his morphological and biomechanical analyses of the skeletal and muscular systems in animals that lack typical bony endoskeleton of vertebrates (fish, birds, and mammals) or hard exoskeletons of crabs and insects. These organisms use an intricate combination of muscles that work against each other or against hydrostatic pressure of fluid in the body cavity to produce rigidity. Mammals (including man) utilize similar elements for movement and use of the tongue, the trunk of the elephant, and erection of the penis and the nipples, etc. Dr. Kier plans to focus most of his studies on the musculature in the highly mobile and exquisitely controlled squid and cattlefish tentacles which will have practical applications in the design of prosthesis and in the area of robotics. More importrant, these results will provide insight to the organizations of these systems and shed light on the behavioral and neural mechanisms that control their operations.