Jake Socha, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Engineering Science and Mechanics

Virginia Tech
332 Norris Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Email: jjsocha@vt.edu
Lab: http://www.esm.vt.edu/~jjsocha

EDUCATION:

	B.S., Physics and Biology, Duke University, 1994
	Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2002

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

	Organismal biomechanics
	Gliding flight in vertebrates
	Fluid flow in insects, focused issues of breathing, feeding, and circulation (including heart flow)
	Low Reynolds number pumps in small animals
	Synchrotron x-ray imaging
	Microtomography

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

	Westneat, M.W., J.J. Socha, and W.-K. Lee. 2008. Advances in biological structure, function and physiology using synchrotron x-ray imaging.  Annual Review of Physiology 70: 119-142.
	Kaiser, A., C.J. Klok, J.J. Socha, W.-K. Lee, M.C. Quinlan, J.F. Harrison. 2007.  Increase in tracheal investment with beetle size supports hypothesis of oxygen limitation on insect gigantism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104 (32): 13198-13203.
	Socha, J.J., M.W. Westneat, J.F. Harrison, J.S. Waters, and W.-K. Lee. 2007. Real-time phase-contrast x-ray imaging: a new technique for the study of animal form and function.  BMC Biology 5:6.
	Socha, J.J. 2006. Becoming airborne without wings: the kinematics of takeoff in a flying snake, Chrysopelea paradisi.  Journal of Experimental Biology 209 (17): 3358-3369.
	Socha, J.J., M. LaBarbera, and T. O’Dempsey. 2005. A three-dimensional kinematic analysis of gliding in a flying snake, Chrysopelea paradisi. Journal of Experimental Biology 208 (10): 1817-1833.
	Socha, J.J. and M. LaBarbera. 2005. Effects of size and behavior on aerial performance of two species of flying snakes (Chrysopelea). Journal of Experimental Biology 208 (10): 1835-1847.
	Socha, J.J. 2002.  Gliding flight in the paradise tree snake.  Nature 418: 603-604.