Dr Sophie Regnault

I joined the School of Veterinary Science at Aberystwyth University as a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Science (Anatomy and Physiology), in April 2021.

I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012, and worked in practice for a short period at the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in London. Whilst in practice I published my undergraduate research project on variant anatomy and pathology of rhinoceros foot bones, and enjoyed research so much that I returned to the RVC's Structure and Motion Laboratory to undertake a PhD. I studied the comparative anatomy, evolution and biomechanical function of sesamoid bones, focusing on the patella. I then moved overseas in 2018 for my post-doc, to Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, to work on modelling forelimb function in the context of mammalian evolution. Before joining Aberystwyth University, I taught Veterinary Anatomy for two years at the University of Surrey School of Veterinary medicine.

I am particularly interested in how form and function influence one another, both in contemporary comparative and evolutionary contexts.

Brocklehurst, R.J., Fahn-Lai, P., Regnault, S. and Pierce, S.E., 2022. Musculoskeletal modeling of sprawling and parasagittal forelimbs provides insight into synapsid postural transition. iScience, 25(1), p.103578.

Regnault, S., Fahn-Lai, P. and Pierce, S.E., 2021. Validation of an echidna forelimb musculoskeletal model using XROMM and diceCT. Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, p.973.

Regnault S, Fahn-Lai P, Norris RM, Pierce SE (2020) Shoulder Muscle Architecture in the Echidna (Monotremata: Tachyglossus aculeatus) Indicates Conserved Functional Properties. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 1-13.

Denyer A, Regnault S, Hutchinson JR (2020)  Evolution of the patella and patelloid in marsupial mammals. PeerJ 8,  e9760.

Regnault S, Pierce SE (2018)  Pectoral girdle and forelimb musculoskeletal function in the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus): insights into mammalian locomotor evolution. Royal Society Open Science 5 (11), 181400.

Regnault S, Allen V, Chadwick KP, Hutchinson JR (2017) Analysis of the moment arms and kinematics of ostrich (Struthio camelus) double patellar sesamoids. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A, 327:163-171.

Regnault S, Hutchinson JR, Jones MEH (2017) Sesamoid bones in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) investigated with X-ray microtomography, and implications for sesamoid evolution in Lepidosauria. Journal of Morphology 278(1), 62–72.

Regnault S, Dixon J, Warren-Smith C, Hutchinson JR (2017) Skeletal pathology and variable anatomy in elephant feet assessed using computed tomography. PeerJ, 5:e2877.

Jiang B, Zhao T, Regnault S, Edwards NP, Kohn SC, Li Z, Wogelius RA, Benton M, Hutchinson JR (2017) Cellular preservation of musculoskeletal specializations in the early bird Confuciusornis. Nature Communications, 8, 14779.

Samuels ME, Regnault S, Hutchinson JR (2017) Evolution of the patellar sesamoid bone in mammals. PeerJ 5:e3103.

Regnault S, Jones MEH, Pitsillidies AA, and Hutchinson JR (2016) Anatomy, morphology and evolution of the patella in squamate lizards and tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). Journal of Anatomy 228(5), 864-876.

Regnault S, Pitsillides AA, and Hutchinson JR (2014) Structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patellar tendon in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and other palaeognath birds. PeerJ, 2:e711 (Preprint version featured in PeerJ’s Top Palaeontology Papers).

Chadwick KP, Regnault S, Allen V, Hutchinson JR (2014) Three-dimensional anatomy of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) knee joint. PeerJ, 2:e706 .

Regnault S, Hermes R, Hildebrant T, Hutchinson JR, and Weller R (2013) Osteopathology in the feet of rhinoceroses: Lesion type and distribution. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 44(4), 918-927 (Winner of the Linda Munson Pathology Award 2014).