I'm Dr Catherine Shine, Lecturer in Animal Science at Hartpury University.

I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) Veterinary Sciences. During my time there, I undertook research projects investigating locomotion of various species. This sparked my interest in biomechanics and led me to a PhD at the University of Idaho in the USA. I completed my PhD in 2016, and began working at Hartpury in January 2017.

My research interests lie in the biomechanics of plantigrade species. Plantigrade species are those with their entire foot on the floor (heel/wrist to toe), for example, humans and bears. Many animals, such as horses and dogs, have adaptations that enable them to run particularly fast or for long distances. The biomechanics of these species has been well studied. I am interested in the less studied animals. How does the foot posture of these animals affect their locomotion? This includes locomotor behaviours such as hunting, swimming, and climbing. I use force plates and high speed cameras to analyse the movements of live animals, as well as analysing the shape of bones to understand the underlying morphology. My research to date has focused on bears, but I hope to extend to other carnivorans, including the Hartpury meerkats!

My current modules include several Anatomy and Physiology modules for a range of degrees; a Biodiversity module, including evolution and research methods for undergraduates.