Biography.guide
Home β€Ί People β€Ί Zoologist β€Ί Adrian Thomas
Portrait of Adrian Thomas

Adrian Thomas

b. 1963

Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Oxford

Zoologist BiomechanicsDocent
Don't just read it β€” keep itBiographies to ownE-book Β· Audio Β· Video From $7 β†’

About Adrian Thomas

Born 1963. Adrian Thomas is a British zoologist, biomechanics and docent.

Education Thomas was educated at Abingdon School and studied zoology at Oxford as an undergraduate from 1981 to 1984. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree at Lund University in 1995 on the flight feathers of birds.

Career and research Thomas was appointed a fellow of Lady Margaret Hall in 1998 and professor of biomechanics in 2006. He founded the University of Oxford Animal Flight Research Group in 1996. His mechanical analogue of dragonflies was developed by his company, Animal Dynamics Ltd, to make small unmanned aerial vehicles (aka drones or ornithopters) to outperform quadcopters. His work has been funded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the research arm of the British Ministry of Defence, and the United States Air Force. The company is an Oxford University spin-off started in 2015 with co-founder Alex Caccia.

His research investigates insect flight using dragonflies, butterflies, desert locusts and hawkmoths. Thomas has supervised several Doctor of Philosophy students including Graham Taylor, Simon Walker and Richard Bomphrey.

Thomas was a British champion in paragliding in 2006 and 2009. He is an executive board member of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it β€”
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop β€” from $7

Instant download Β· yours to keep Β· every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1963
Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Oxford, Abingdon School, University of Cambridge, University of Lund
Employers
University of Oxford
Also known as
Adrian Leland Rees Thomas, Adrian L.R. Thomas

People in Adrian Thomas's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Adrian Thomas's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Adrian Thomas?

Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Oxford

When was Adrian Thomas born?

Adrian Thomas was born in 1963.

What is Adrian Thomas's occupation?

Adrian Thomas is a zoologist, biomechanics and docent.

What nationality is Adrian Thomas?

Adrian Thomas is British.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Adrian Thomas

Β· Wikidata: Q42889421

Β· DBpedia: Adrian Thomas (zoologist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Adrian Thomas. https://biography.guide/adrian-thomas/

MLA: "Adrian Thomas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/adrian-thomas/.

Chicago: "Adrian Thomas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/adrian-thomas/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC