Most of the experiments in
my laboratory involve recordings made directly from the brains
of experimental animals during behavior. In these experiments,
we are able to study not only the intricate circuits comprising
real networks of nerves and neurons, but also the signals produced
by individual neurons during movement. Much of this work is
done in collaboration with students and faculty from the Biomedical
Engineering Department, the Institute for Neuroscience (NUIN),
and the IGERT funded program in the Dynamics of Complex Systems
in Science and Engineering.
The three fundamental goals of my research are the following:
1) To understand the nature of the brain's own signals -- the
"language" in which movement command signals are expressed
by neurons in the central nervous system. 2) To understand the
mechanisms by which these signals are produced -- the nature
of the connections among networks of neurons, and the transformations
that occur in the signals as they propagate throughout these
networks. 3) To develop applications of these basic principles
that could be of therapeutic value to human patients. See the
Research section of this page for more information about specific
projects.
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