Brett AielloPrincipal InvestigatorI am currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Seton Hill University in beautiful Greensburg, PA. At Seton Hill I teach courses in Human Anatomy and Physiology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology, and Histology. In addition, I have the privilege of conducting cutting edge research with the talented students of Seton Hill University.
Prior to joining the faculty at Seton Hill, I was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sponberg Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. At Georgia Tech, my work focused on the evolution of the evolution of moth flight and visual feedback. I completed my Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at the University of Chicago where I studied the correlated evolution of limb mechanics and mechanosensation in the pectoral fins of fishes in the Hale Lab and Westneat Lab. |
Our Lab
Sarah MaccarelliPhysician Assistant B.S./M.S. Student
Sarah is a medical studies major in the physician assistant B.S./M.S. program at Seton Hill University. She is working on finding, calculating, and analyzing the flexural stiffness of certain moth species. Additionally, she is observing and trying to understand the connections between the flexural stiffness and the species of moth. Sarah spends her free time crocheting, knitting, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.
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Katie PfuhlPhysician Assistant B.S./M.S. Student
Katie is a medical studies major in the physician assistant B.S./M.S. program at Seton Hill University. She is working on conducting research through experiments and analyzing the subsequent data. She is also working on researching past connections between moth species and flexural stiffness as well as understanding new connections supported by data. In her free time, Katie enjoys reading, baking, and hiking.
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Nicole MasonPhysician Assistant B.S./M.S. Student
Nicole is a medical studies major in the physician assistant B.S/M.S. program at Seton Hill University. She is working on conducting research through experiments and analyzing the subsequent data. She is also working on understanding the connections between flexural stiffness and the species of moth. In her free time, Nicole enjoys weightlifting, swimming, and being with her family.
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Teyah SpanglerBiochemistry Major
Teyah is a biochemistry major at Seton Hill University. She is working to investigate the neuromechanics of insect flight. The aim is to clarify the rationale behind the placement of sensors at particular points on the wing to efficiently collect data on wing motion during flight. She spends her free time building legos, listening to true crime podcasts, and spending time with pets.
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Austin ChoiBiology and Computer Science Major
Austin Choi is a biology and computer science double major in the LECOM early acceptance program at Seton Hill University. He is researching how mechanical and visual stimuli affect flight control in certain moth species utilizing an optic flow starfield in Unity’s environmental game engine. When he’s not studying or doing research, he likes to go to the gym, play the saxophone, program, spend time with friends and family, and meticulously listen to songs that he can add to his car playlist.
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Emily DomonkosBiology Major
Emily is a biology major here at Seton Hill, with future plans on attending veterinary school. She is working on finding correlation between layering and placement of wing scales within a species of moths, as well as correlations between different species. In addition, she is working on a group project involving the mechanosensation and visual reflexes involved in moth flight. Emily spends her free time training and competing her horse and her dogs, along with working at a local veterinary clinic.
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Ethan BurdBiology Major
Ethan is a biology major at Seton Hill. He is working on a variety of projects involving moth flight, the evolution of flight mechanics, and neural function in moths. He is also minoring in music performance and is a member of the Seton Hill marching band.
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Camille KuczynskiLECOM Dental Medicine and Biology
Camille is a LECOM Dental Medicine and Biology student at Seton Hill University. She is working on assessing the evolution of insect flight using high speed videography. Camille spends her free time crocheting, painting, volunteering, camping and participating in/teaching three different martial art styles.
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