James M. Wakeling
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
M.A. , Ph.D. University of Cambridge
Phone: (778) 782-8444 (office); (778) 782-8445 (lab)
Fax: (778) 782-3040
Email: wakeling@sfu.ca
Phone: (778) 782-8444 (office); (778) 782-8445 (lab)
Fax: (778) 782-3040
Email: wakeling@sfu.ca
Positions:
Simon Fraser University
Assistant Professor - department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
Assistant Professor - School of Engineering Science
University of Alberta
Adjunct Assistant Professor - Faculty of Rehabilitative Medicine
Royal Veterinary College, UK
Honorary Lecturer
Research Interests:
I am interested in how muscles are used to move people and animals.
I studied the aerodynamics of dragonfly flight for my PhD. with Charlie Ellington as my supervisor at the University of Cambridge (1992-1995). The study considered both the flight dynamics and the performance of the flight muscles and resulted in estimates of the power output and efficiency of these muscles.
Postdoctoral work with Ian Johnston at the University of St. Andrews considered the power output of axial muscle in fish and in particular the effect of water temperature and global warming on the muscle physiology and swimming performance (1995-1999).
I investigated muscle responses to vibrations in man with Benno Nigg during a further postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Calgary and during this time I also started studying how different types of motor unit were recruited for different movements by wavelet analysis of EMG (1999-2003)
I took up a faculty position with the Royal Veterinary College in 2004 and directed a series of projects into motor recruitment during dynamic activities in rats and man, treatment and biomechanics of the equine back and muscle dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy.
I joined the School of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University as an Assistant Professor in 2007 where I have set up the Neuromuscular Mechanics Laboratory. Within this laboratory we are investigating (a) how non-uniform architecture and activity patterns across a muscle can affect whole muscle performance, (b) how the co-ordination of the many muscles of a limb affect the whole limb performance, (c) how signals from dysfunctional muscles can be used to direct treatments for neuromuscular conditions such as spasticity.
Selected Publications:
Higham, T.E., Biewener, A.A. & Wakeling, J.M. (2008). Functinoal diversification within and between muscle synergists during locomotion. Biol. Lett. 4, 41-44.
Ritruechai, P., Weller, R. & Wakeling, J.M. (2008). Regional variations in muscle anatomy in the equine longissimus dorsi. Equine Veterinary Journal. In press.
Hodson-Tole, E., & Wakeling J.M. (2008). Motor unit recruitment patterns 1: Responses to changes in locomotor velocity and incline. J. Exp. Biol. 211, 1882-1892.
Wakeling, J.M. (2008). The recruitment of different compartments within a muscle depends on the mechanics of the movement. Biology Letters. In press.
Wakeling, J.M. (2008). Patterns of motor recruitment can be determined using surface EMG. J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. In press.
Wakeling, J.M., Delaney, R. & Dudkiewicz I. (2007). A method for quantifying dynamic muscle dysfunction in children and young adults with cerebral palsy. Gait Posture 25, 580-589.
Hodson-Tole, E., & Wakeling J.M. (2007). Variations in motor unit recruitment patterns occur within and between muscles in the running rat (Rattus norvegicus). J. Exp. Biol. 210, 2333-2345.
Wakeling, J.M., Uehli, K. & Rozitis, A.I. (2006). Muscle fibre recruitment can respond to the mechanics of the muscle contraction. J. Roy. Soc. Interface 3, 533-544.
Wakeling, J.M., (2004). Motor units are recruited in a task dependent fashion during locomotion. J. Exp. Biol. 207, 3883-3890.
Wakeling, J.M., Liphardt, A-M. & Nigg, B.M. (2003). Muscle activity reduces soft-tissue resonance at heel-strike during walking. J. Biomech. 36, 1761-1769.
Wakeling, J.M., Kaya, M., Temple, G.K., Johnston, I.A. & Herzog, W. (2002). Determining patterns of motor recruitment during locomotion. J. Exp. Biol. 205, 359-369.
Wakeling, J.M., Pascual, S.A., Nigg, B.M. & von Tscharner, V. (2001). Surface EMG shows distinct populations of muscle activity when measured during sustained exercise. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 86, 40-47.
Wakeling, J.M., Kemp, K.M. & Johnston, I.A. (1999). The biomechanics of fast-starts during ontogeny in the common carp Cyprinus carpio. J. Exp. Biol 202, 3057-3067.
Wakeling, J.M. & Johnston, I.A. (1998). Muscle power output limits fast-start performance in fish. J. Exp. Biol. 201, 1505-1526.
Wakeling, J.M. & Ellington, C.P. (1997). Dragonfly flight II. Velocities, accelerations, and kinematics of flapping flight. J. Exp. Biol. 200, 557-582.
Wakeling, J.M. & Ellington, C.P. (1997). Dragonfly flight III. Lift and power requirements, J. Exp. Biol. 200, 583-600.