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

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

<aside> ⭐

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>

Dr. Christina Harvey (front row, right) and Dr. Michelle Hawkins, Director of the California Raptor Center (front, left) Back row: Graduate student Francisco Jackson, postdoctoral researcher Dr. Alfonso Martinez and graduate student Kaleb Bordner. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

Students in Harvey's Biologically Informed Research and Design, or BIRD, lab set up a wind tunnel experiment using a bird's wing shape. From left to right: Kiran Weston, Huanglun (Adam) Zhu, Francisco Jackson. (Steven Trinh/UC Davis)

Students in Harvey's Biologically Informed Research and Design, or BIRD, lab set up a wind tunnel experiment using a bird's wing shape. From left to right: Kiran Weston, Huanglun (Adam) Zhu, Francisco Jackson. (Steven Trinh/UC Davis)