Angel Zeininger, Assistant Research Professor

My current research focuses on understanding how animals achieve 'smooth' movement during locomotion. The path of the whole body center of mass throughout a step and at the step-to-step transition affects an animal's balance, potential and kinetic energy exchange, and energy recovery. Center of mass movements are influenced by the animal's hand/foot/limb posture and placement. I am particularly interested in how developmental changes in neuromuscular control affect limb posture and center of mass movements, ultimately leading to a mature gait.

Please note: Angel has left the "Evolutionary Anthropology" group at Duke University; some info here might not be up to date.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	Biological Sciences Building
Office Phone:	(919) 684-6582
Email Address:

Teaching (Spring 2026):

• NEUROSCI 380L.01L, FUNCTIONAL NEUROANATOMY Synopsis

  LSRC B029, M 10:20 AM-12:50 PM

Education:

Ph.D.

University of Texas, Austin

2013

Keywords:

Animal locomotion • Gait disorders • Human locomotion

Recent Publications   (More Publications)   (search)

1. Deckers, K; Tsegai, ZJ; Skinner, MM; Zeininger, A; Kivell, TL, Ontogenetic changes to metacarpal trabecular bone structure in mountain and western lowland gorillas., Journal of Anatomy, vol. 241 no. 1 (July, 2022), pp. 82-100 [doi]  [abs]
2. Arias-Martorell, J; Zeininger, A; Kivell, TL, Trabecular structure of the elbow reveals divergence in knuckle-walking biomechanical strategies of African apes., Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution, vol. 75 no. 11 (November, 2021), pp. 2959-2971 [doi]  [abs]
3. Tasnim, N; Schmitt, D; Zeininger, A, Effects of human variation on foot and ankle pain in rural Madagascar., American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 176 no. 2 (October, 2021), pp. 308-320 [doi]  [abs]
4. Zeininger, A; Schmitt, D; Hughes-Oliver, C; Queen, RM, The effect of ankle osteoarthritis and total ankle arthroplasty on center of pressure position., Journal of Orthopaedic Research : Official Publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, vol. 39 no. 6 (June, 2021), pp. 1245-1252 [doi]  [abs]
5. Zeininger, A; Schmitt, D; Wunderlich, RE, Mechanics of heel-strike plantigrady in African apes., Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 145 (August, 2020), pp. 102840 [doi]  [abs]