People

Simon Sponberg

Simon moved to Georgia Tech in the fall of 2014. He studies how the versatile, agile locomotion of animals arises from their physiological components using the perspective of physics and comparative biology. He completed his graduate training at UC, Berkeley and postdoctoral research at the University of Washington. 

Usama Bin Sikandar

Usama received his B.S. from LUMS and both his M.S. and Ph.D. from Georgia Tech. He is interested in biomechanics, control systems and dynamics. He uses models of flapping flight, control systems and integrative biology approaches to understand how hawkmoths display remarkable agility in their flight. In his spare time, you might find him going on road trips, exploring restaurants, listening to some good music or just watching cricket.

Yash Sondhi

Yash obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Florida and now researches how moths sense the world. He studies how their eyes and brains have evolved to complicated visual tasks in light-limited environments. He uses an integrative approach looking at their physiology, genes and behavior and in the light of evolution to understand how their visual systems function. Like many other nocturnal animals, moths get disoriented and entrapped by light. He studies the effects of light pollution on nocturnal insects and how we can combat this issue. Yash also helps with citizen science and biodiversity monitoring in India.

Yaqing Wang

Yaqing received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He is interested in understanding how animal locomotion emerges and is modulated by neural control. He studied the locomotion of cockroaches traversing large obstacles in JHU, and he now studies how moths prioritize feeding and responding to threats. Out of research, Yaqing enjoys trying out new sodas.

Varun Sharma

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Leo Wood

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Ethan Wold

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Ellen Liu

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Ellen received her B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering in 2021 from the University of Limerick, Ireland. Her interests are in biological locomotor systems and how features from these systems can be applied to robotics. She is investigating neuromechanical control architectures under various conditions to determine optimal control strategies. When she’s not in the lab she likes to play music, video games and travel.

Ben Doshna

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Ben is in the Quantitative Biosciences PhD program interested in the coordinated control required to produce agile locomotion. He receveid his B.S. in Bioengineering from Temple University in 2023. In his spare time he likes to play basketball, go on hikes, and play video games.

Casey King

Ph.D. student

Quantitative Biosciences

Casey is in the Quantitative Biosciences (QBioS) PhD program interested in using X-ray diffraction techniques to study muscle structure and function. He received his B.S. in Physics from Clemson University in 2024. Outside of the lab, he likes playing soccer, hiking, and fishing.

Dr. Jordanna Sprayberry

Professor

Jordanna received her BS in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island and her PhD from the University of Washington. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Arizona and is currently a professor at a small liberal arts college (SLAC) in Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg College. She is visiting faculty at the Agile Systems lab. Her research interests are in the 'Neuroethology of Pollination', and is investigating odor modulation of visual encoding when playing in Atlanta. In her free time she hikes (preferably with family and her dog), sings, gardens, and knits.

Jake Miller

Jake is a recent post-baccalaureate out of the Georgia Tech Physics B.S. program now in charge of maintaining the lab and conducting research. A curiosity for the mind has driven him from studying physics to neuroscience where he hopes to still make use of his physics and computational science background. Jake fills his free time with watching shows and movies, reading, writing, and playing video games- all to facilitate a passion for science fiction and philosophy.

Karrah Hayes

Biomedical Engineering

Karrah is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Biomedical Engineering with a Biology minor. Fascinated by animal physiology and neuroscience, she is working alongside Leo to investigate the neuroanatomy of the hawkmoth nerve cord. When she’s off work, Karrah enjoys hiking, reading, listening to music, and talking about her pets.

Elliot Huang

Computer Science, Psychology

Elliot is a third-year undergraduate at Georgia Institute of Technology pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science with a focus on Modeling-Simulation & Intelligence. In complement, he is also completing a B.S. in Psychology and minoring in Biochemistry and Health/Medical Sciences. Curious about the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind behavior, he is working with Varun to investigate how hawkmoths retune their sensorimotor controllers when faced with destabilizing dynamics. For fun, he enjoys various hobbies such as skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, and singing.

Joanna Baker

Biology

Joanna is originally from Atlanta and now studies Biology and Art Practice at Stanford University. This summer she is working with Ethan to segment, process, and analyze CT scans of thorax muscles in hawkmoths and silkmoths. This project will help visualize and quantify the anatomical differences that underly the divergent flight strategies of these two evolutionary branches. In her free time, Joanna likes to make art, play guitar, and hang out with her family and cats.