Walking in the real world—how do precocial infants understand affordances for locomotion?

Dr. Jesse W. Young, Professor of Anatomy in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)

Project Description:

How do newborn animals figure out how to move through the world? Unlike human babies, precocial animals (like goats and pigs) can stand, walk, and even run within hours of birth. But real-world movement is about much more than just taking steps — it’s about dodging obstacles, climbing slopes, and keeping up with the herd.

Our lab studies how baby animals learn to navigate their changing bodies in a changing world. We ask questions like:

• How do newborn goats know where they can and can’t walk?
• What role does practice play when survival means moving right away?
• How does the body’s growth shape the way movement is possible?

You’ll be part of a project that combines animal behavior, biomechanics, and machine learning to explore these questions.

What you'll get out of it:

• Hands-on experience working with perinatal animals (yes, baby goats 🐐).
• Training in modern research tools, including machine-learning software to track animal movement.
• Practice with experimental design, data management, and statistical analysis — core skills for any scientific career.

What we're looking for:

• Curiosity and enthusiasm (no prior experience required — we’ll teach you the rest).
• Ability to commit 5–10 hrs/week for data collection and analysis
• Willingness to travel to NEOMED and nearby farms

If you’re excited about science, animals, and asking big questions about how bodies and brains work together, this is a great chance to dive in.