Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience

Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience (MS / PhD) Overview

The Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience (CMN) theme strives to advance scientific understanding of the psychological, mechanical, and neural mechanisms underlying skilled human behaviors. We research how these mechanisms are influenced by changes across the life-span (development and aging), changes due to practice (learning and memory processes), or changes following pathology (neurodegenerative disease, athletic injuries, amputation) and rehabilitation.

Research Pillars

Learning and Memory

We investigate the role of perceptual, cognitive, and motor processes critical for the various stages along the learning and memory timeline (e.g., initial encoding, sleep-related consolidation, long-term retention, expertise). Understanding how these processes interact has significant implications for the training and development of domain-specific expertise across professional domains.

Biomechanics and Neural Control

We integrate concepts from biomechanics and neurophysiology to understand how sophisticated movement emerges from the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Our research pillar focuses on how these systems interact to control movement relevant to activities of daily living (e.g., walking, running, standing), as well as navigating in uncertain environments (e.g., locomotion in unstable surfaces or in visually perturbing fields). These concepts are applied towards solutions aimed at improving mobility outcomes, including assistive technology such as prosthetics, orthotics, exoskeletons and shoes.

Injury and Rehabilitation

Following injury, or as the result of mobility-affecting conditions (e.g., traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative disease, amputation, etc), our capability for even basic movements can be compromised. Our goal is to understand how anatomical, physiological, and psychological variables interact to affect recovery and rehabilitation, whether this is a return to participation in the activities of daily living or a return to play in sport. 

Brain-Behavior Mapping

We adopt a multimodal neuro-imaging and -modulatory approach to examine the neural underpinnings of various motor behaviors. We employ electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including functional and anatomical MRI as well as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Brain areas and networks of interest can be modulated via non-invasive brain stimulation approaches such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).