Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a Professor of Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. With nearly 30 years of experience in systems biomechanics, she employs experimental, computational, and theoretical methods to study organismal movement. Her research encompasses a variety of organisms, including insects, corals, and jellyfish. Notably, she has investigated the aerodynamics of insect flight, the fluid dynamics of jellyfish propulsion, and the flow patterns around corals. Her work has been recognized with the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

Beyond academia, Laura has been involved with horses since the age of 8, focusing on classical dressage, horse care, and equine facility management. In 2023 she started the Systems Biomechanics of the Horse program at the UA Al-Marah Equine Center (AMEC) in Tucson, where students from mathematics, engineering, animal science, and veterinary science studied equine gait, breathing, and heart rate. When the university announced the sale of AMEC in 2026, the horses and the program moved to Rancho del Nido in Sonoita, Arizona, home of EquiPhysics, the nonprofit she founded. Her equine research and its move from AMEC are described at fairyflies9.github.io/horses.html, and her lab's other work at fairyflies9.github.io.