Lilia Burtonpatel
Email: lb5715@princeton.edu
Education
A.B. Ecology and Environmental Biology (Current Program)
Princeton University, Class of 2027
Biography
Lilia was born in La Jolla, California, and spent her childhood there before moving to Brookline, Massachusetts in 3rd grade. She gained her passion for studying bioinspired design as a sophomore in high school, after reading the Wyss Institute's publication on lattice design inspired by deep-sea glass sponges. Following her long-time fascination with nature and design, Lilia is pursuing her Bachelors in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) at Princeton University ('27) with cross-discipline mechanical engineering research. She aims to become a researcher in biomechanics and bioinspired design, using organismal biology and biophysics to develop sustainable technologies that help combat the causes and effects of climate change and environmental harm. Outside of her academics, Lilia enjoys making models, reading sci-fi, and learning new languages.
Research
Lilia Burtonpatel is currently working with graduate students Derrick Roseman and Hannah Wiswell in Mechanical Engineering and Daniel Vasquez-Restrepo from the Phylogenetics, Macroevolution & Paleobiology lab in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology on her thesis: Quantifying Crocodile-Like Morphology in Gymnophthalmoid lizards. She is modeling and testing the hydrodynamics of body shape variation in semi-aquatic Gymnophthalmoid lizards with applications in underwater and amphibious vehicle design, as well as insights into the evolution of the semiaquatic lifestyle and its functionally related traits.
Previously, Lilia worked with Hannah Wiswell to research bio-inspired wingtips for the purposes of enhancing aerodynamic efficiency and maneuverability in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). She conducted an independent research project tracking the evolution of emarginated primary feather morphology and its links to flight style, presented at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) conference in January 2025.