Research Focus
Bio-inspired Locomotion
Studying how biological organisms — from sea stars to fish — interact with the physical world to move efficiently, and translating those insights into robotic systems.
AI-Powered Swimmers
Using Reinforcement Learning to discover optimal locomotion strategies and sensory feedback policies for bio-inspired underwater robots.
Decentralized Multi-Agent Control
Building mathematical models of collective behavior in fish schools and other biological groups to design scalable, distributed robotic systems.
Recent News
| Feb 2026 | Sara presented a poster at CSUNposium 2026 — way to go, Sara! |
| Jan 2026 | Our paper "Tube Feet Dynamics Drive Adaptation in Sea Star Locomotion" published in PNAS and featured in Nature Physics. |
| Nov 2025 | Victor presented his research at APS DFD 2025 in Houston, Texas — way to go, Victor! |
| Oct 2025 | Dr. Heydari gave an invited talk at the UC Davis Mathematical Biology Seminar. |
| Aug 2025 | Dr. Heydari joined CSUN as Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department. |
California State University, Northridge • Department of Mechanical Engineering • College of Engineering and Computer Science