Professor Ferry's research is within the field called Functional Morphology. Functional Morphology is the study of organism structure (i.e., anatomy) and function (e.g., how it works in a particular context). She is particularly interested in the evolution of jaws and novel structures associated with food acquisition. Her research uses primarily fishes, as they are the most diverse of all the vertebrates, and are the group in which jaws first evolved. Most of her work has focused on functional traits associated with aquatic prey capture and processing, as well as how fish generate water flow into the head and over the respiratory structures.  

Areas of Interest:  Physiology, Functional Morphology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Ecophysiology, Ichthyology 

Ferry lab website:  morphology.asu.edu