There are many cool looking animals on this planet, but beyond aesthetics, what if their shapes also had a remarkable purpose or function? What if studying how animals are built and move has a great deal to teach humans? An Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Science and the WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Idaho. He received his Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University and was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Texas, Austin. His research interests are centered on understanding the relationships between the musculoskeletal morphology of terrestrial vertebrate animals (including humans) and the biomechanics and neural control of locomotor performance. Current research projects include examining how hopping mammals meet the mechanical demands of complex terrain and understanding how below-knee amputee humans adapt to control prosthetic devices. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx