Michael Isaacs

Background

About Michael Isaacs

I currently work in the Biotech/Lab Automation sector and specialize in Hamilton Liquid Handlers and Hamilton integrated devices.I earned my PhD for my research with ankle-foot prosthetics applied to people with below-the-knee amputations. My doctoral research focused on quantitative analysis of walking dynamics at different walking speeds using force plate recordings and 3D motion capture. The experimental protocols and analytics I've developed examined the effects of speed and different ankle-foot prosthetic design solutions on human walking. In addition to human biomechanics, I conducted studies on other vertebrate and invertebrate animals in locomotor tasks to determine how anatomical form relates to physical function.In addition to research, I have been a teaching assistant in various 100 to 400-level laboratory courses within the Life Sciences department at UNLV. For my combined teaching efforts, I was the recipient of an Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award and have served as an undergraduate and graduate student mentor throughout my graduate education. I routinely presented my research at regional, national, and international conferences throughout my graduate education and value feedback about how my research relates to both the basic and applied sciences. I am familiar with the locomotor biomechanics of humans, guinea pigs, kangaroo rats, mice, pocket gophers, skinks, chameleons, wallabies, dogs, and climbing parrots. I am well-versed in vertebrate animal anatomy & physiology and have an in-depth knowledge of the relationships of eukaryotic organisms with a practiced focus in animal evolution and species radiation. I am particularly proficient in the evolution of vertebrate animals and the various physiological and ontogenetic features that result from the selection mechanisms of evolution.