MARINELAND, Fla. – A big congratulations to Dr. James Liao, Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Biology, who has received promotion to Full Professor from the University of Florida!
This promotion reflects Dr. Liao’s distinguished work in teaching, research and service. Thank you for your dedication to your students, lab members, the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and the University of Florida.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Liao on this well-deserved academic achievement!
The research of Dr. James Liao looks at the physics and neuroscience of how fishes sense and navigate through complex environments. One component of his research investigates how fish can recapture the energy of turbulent flows, which can help us build better underwater robots and improve fish ladder designs near dams. He is extending this work to better understand the movement of fishes in the field using acoustic telemetry in order to gain a better understanding of important nursery and breeding habitats, as well as ground-truth the relevance of laboratory studies. Another branch of his research examines the function of the lateral line system in fishes. The hair cells in the lateral line are identical to those found in human ears but are much more experimentally accessible. Powerful technological and genetic advances make it possible for the first time to look into the nervous system of living vertebrates and ask questions related to human deafness and balance disorders.
Media Release: University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
