I have a broad interest in the field of biophysics and more specifically biomechanics. As a Phd student, my research focuses on the biomechanics of the armature of stag beetles. Stag beetles are known for their enormous jaws, which function as ‘antlers’ in the battle for female attention. There is a very wide variety in shape and size of the armature of stag beetles, between species as well as between males of the same species. Although their importance in (sexual) selection is clear, and there is an obvious cost of making and carrying the armature, the evolutionary basis is still unclear. In my phd project, I measure the influence of the armature of the stag beetles on walking and flying.  To be able to walk, fly and fight with the giant jaws, the material and musculature of the jaws are probably adapted. A comparison with the non-specialized female jaw apparatus will reveal this. With the knowledge of the material and structural properties of the armature, I make mathematical models to investigate how the material, musculature and shape of the jaws are adapted to fight (by determining the stress and strain with a finite element model) and flight (by predicting aerodynamics with computational fluid dynamics).