Our research focuses on the cortical basis of motor control and learning. We are investigating what features of motor behavior are encoded and how this information is represented in the collective activity of large neuronal ensembles in the motor, premotor, and somatosensory cortices. We are also interested in what way these representations change as motor learning occurs. Our approach has been to simultaneously record neural activity from large groups of neurons using multi-electrode arrays while performing detailed kinematic, kinetic, and muscle measurements of goal-directed, motor behaviors, and to develop mathematical models that relate neural activity with behavior. These mathematical models provide insights as to what aspects of motor behavior are being encoded in cortical neurons, but also can be used to decipher or “decode” neural activity in order to predict movement which has practical implications for brain-machine interface development. Ultimately, this research may lead to neural prosthetic technologies that will allow people with spinal cord injury, ALS, or amputation to use brain signals to voluntarily control a device so as to interact with the world.
Brown University
Providence, RI
- Neuroscience
1998
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
- Neuroscience
1995
Brown University
Providence, RI
Ph.D. - Cognitive Science
1992
Brown University
Providence, RI
Sc.M. - Psychology
1991
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
B.A. - Physics
1984
Long-term safety and efficacy of intracortical microstimulation in humans.
Long-term safety and efficacy of intracortical microstimulation in humans. Sci Transl Med. 2026 Jul 15; 18(858):eaec3728.
PMID: 42455900
A framework for quantifying the mechanics of dexterous grasp.
A framework for quantifying the mechanics of dexterous grasp. bioRxiv. 2026 May 09.
PMID: 42146679
A Spatially Structured Spiking Network Model of Beta Traveling Waves and Their Attenuation in Motor Cortex.
A Spatially Structured Spiking Network Model of Beta Traveling Waves and Their Attenuation in Motor Cortex. bioRxiv. 2026 Mar 20.
PMID: 41889809
Limb state accounts for differences between motor imagery and action in motor cortex.
Limb state accounts for differences between motor imagery and action in motor cortex. medRxiv. 2026 Mar 16.
PMID: 41891008
Evolutionarily conserved neural dynamics across mice, monkeys, and humans.
Evolutionarily conserved neural dynamics across mice, monkeys, and humans. bioRxiv. 2026 Mar 07.
PMID: 41847010
Spatially Extensive LFP Correlations Identify Slow-Wave Sleep in Marmoset Sensorimotor Cortex.
Spatially Extensive LFP Correlations Identify Slow-Wave Sleep in Marmoset Sensorimotor Cortex. eNeuro. 2025 Nov; 12(11).
PMID: 41213808
Combatting nonidentifiability to infer motor cortex inputs yields similar encoding of initial and corrective movements.
Combatting nonidentifiability to infer motor cortex inputs yields similar encoding of initial and corrective movements. bioRxiv. 2025 Sep 11.
PMID: 40964298
Intracortical microstimulation in humans: a decade of safety and efficacy.
Intracortical microstimulation in humans: a decade of safety and efficacy. medRxiv. 2025 Aug 13.
PMID: 40832410
Propagating Motor Cortical Dynamics Facilitate Movement Initiation.
Propagating Motor Cortical Dynamics Facilitate Movement Initiation. Neuron. 2025 Aug 06; 113(15):2546.
PMID: 40652940
Motor somatotopy impacts imagery strategy success in human intracortical brain-computer interfaces.
Motor somatotopy impacts imagery strategy success in human intracortical brain-computer interfaces. J Neural Eng. 2025 Mar 05; 22(2).
PMID: 39993333
Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring
University of Chicago
2016