I'm currently a Research Associate at Caltech (occasional status). I obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, specializing in Robotics. My research at Stanford focused on dynamic legged "biomimetic" robots that incorporate novel manufacturing technologies and design lessons from biology. The resulting prototypes are among the fastest recorded running robots ever created, and achieve robust locomotion with no sensory feedback. My research at Caltech focuses on Neural Prosthetics, specifically the design and manufacture of "Smart" Neural Implants, capable of driving micron-precision motors to actuate electrodes that autonomously find and optimize signals from live neurons. I'm also a published cartoonist, with my comic "Piled Higher and Deeper", a commentary on academia and the people in it, appearing in several newspapers, two published book collections, and online, where it receives over 4.5 million pageviews a month. Check it out at: www.phdcomics.com