Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
My research focus is motor control abnormalities in movement disorders. This area addresses how neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, affect our ability to control our movements. We generate hypotheses in the framework of computational motor control, and we devise motor studies of patients with movement disorders to test these hypotheses. The studies use motion capture techniques for detailed recording of reaching movements, gait, and postural responses. We interpret the results to advance our knowledge of how different nervous system circuits contribute to different aspects of motor control, and of how abnormal movements can be understood at the control level. This knowledge can inform on the design of specific rehabilitation strategies and of artificial devices to alleviate symptoms.