Welcome to the Biologically Informed Research and Design (BIRD) Lab at UC Davis led by Dr. Christina Harvey (she/her/hers).

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Highlights

Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering supporting fundamental work on bird flight and control
DoD-funded Bird Flight Research Center at the California Raptor Center for in vivo flight experiments
AFOSR-supported project on morphing–control co-design and flight stability
Media and outreach in outlets such as Quanta, The Atlantic, Nature highlights, and more
Interdisciplinary training at the interface of biomechanics, control, robotics, and design </aside>

About Us

We blend disciplines to understand how animals adjust their morphology in flight and to develop bio-informed uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). We merge techniques across:

Biology and biomechanics – to understanding how birds sense and control their bodies in complex environments
Aerospace engineering and control – to quantify stability, maneuverability, and morphing structures
Robotics and design – to translate biological principles into engineered systems

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Lab Guide

Front: Dr. Christina Harvey (right) and Dr. Michelle Hawkins (left) Back: Francisco Jackson, Dr. Alfonso Martinez and Kaleb Bordner. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)