Maria Miara
Degrees
McGill University, Ph.D.McGill University, B.Sc.
Expertise
Comparative Anatomy, Evolution, Physiology, Exercise Physiology, BiomechanicsProfile
My interests in biology lie at the intersection of evolution, anatomy, physiology and human performance. I focus these interests through the lens of comparative morphology which is a field that explores the relationship between form and function across species. The courses I teach include evolution, physiology, exercise physiology, physiology lab, and evolutionary developmental biology.Recently, I have established the Brandeis Human Performance Lab (BHPL), a collaboration between biology and athletics. The goals of this initiative are to:
• Enable students to learn about human physiology in a hands-on laboratory setting. This will improve learning outcomes and allow students to complete prerequisites required for graduate programs in allied health fields (physical therapy, physician’s assistant, nursing, etc.).
• Create a space for undergraduate students to conduct research related to human physiology and athletic performance. Biological research with human subjects is rare on campus. Furthermore, there too few undergraduate research opportunities generally to meet the demand. The BHPL will give students hands-on skills and research experience important for careers in athletics and public health.
• Provide tools and assistance for teams and student-athletes to support their athletic performance. Teams and athletes wishing to quantify physiological parameters, or have support in analyzing data collected in other ways, can make use of the equipment and expertise in the BHPL.
Courses Taught
| BIOL | 15b | Cells and Organisms |
| BIOL | 42a | Physiology |
| BIOL | 42b | Human Physiology Lab |
| BIOL | 43bj | Comparative Anatomy |
| BIOL | 44a | The Biology of Human Sports and Exercise |
| BIOL | 46aj | Biomechanics |
| BIOL | 91g | Introduction to Research Practice |
| BIOL | 100b | Advanced Cell Biology |
| BIOL | 112b | Evolutionary Developmental Biology |
| BIOL | 153aj | Project Lab in Biomimetics / Bioinspiration |
| BIOL | 205a | Masters Proseminar |
Awards and Honors
Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Harvard University (2014)
Scholarship
Lee SSM, Arnold AS, de Boef Miara M, Biewener AA, Wakeling JM.. "Accuracy of gastrocnemius muscles forces in walking and running goats predicted by one-element and two-element Hill-type models.." Journal of Biomechanics 46. 13 (2013): 2288-2295.
Lee SSM, de Boef Miara M, Arnold AS, Biewener AA, Wakeling, JM. "Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion." Journal of Experimental Biology 216. 2 (2013): 198-207.
Padian K, de Boef Miara M, Larsson HCE, Wilson L and Bromage T. "Research Applications and Integration." Bone Histology of Fossil Tetrapods. Ed. Padian K and Lamm E-T. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013
Wilson LE & de Boef Miara M.. "Database Standardization." Bone Histology of Fossil Tetrapods. Ed. Padian K and Lamm E-T. Berkley: University of California Press, 2013
Wakeling JM, Lee SSM, Arnold AS, de Boef Miara M, Biewener AA.. "A muscle's force depends on the recruitment patterns of its fibres.." Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 40. 8 (2012): 1708-1720.
Lee SSM, de Boef Miara M, Arnold AS, Biewener AA, Wakeling JM.. "EMG analysis tuned for determining the timing and level of activation in different motor units.." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. 21. 4 (2011): 557-565.
de Boef Miara, Maria. "Signatures of Flight and Running in bone microstructure: An experimental study in helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and applications in the study of the dinosaur-bird transition.." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28. 3 (2008): 70.
de Boef Miara, Maria, Larsson Hans CE & Horner John. "Measurements of vasculature in Tyrannosaurus rex show a relationship between growth rate and vasculature orientation.." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27. 3 (2007): 67.
de Boef, Maria and Larsson, Hans C. E.. "Bone microstructure: quantifying bone vascular orientation.." Canadian Journal of Zoology 851. 1 (2007): 63-70.