I study the biomechanics and neural control of swimming in fishes. My research addresses two broad questions. First, how do fishes produce the forces that propel them forward and enable them to maneuver so effectively? And second, how do they control their locomotion in the face of a complex and variable environment? The ultimate goal of this research is to develop general principles to understand how fishes swim and maneuver stably yet effectively, and how these principles have affected the evolution of the body plan of fishes and vertebrates as a whole.