The focus of our interdisciplinary lab is to study the coordinated action of neural, muscular, and skeletal systems controlling goal-directed and stereotypic movements.
The neuro-musculo-skeletal (NMS) system evolved to control mechanical actions, e.g. walking, running, balancing and reaching. Since these and other common behaviors are produced by the integrated action of multiple components of the NMS system, investigating the details of this emergent organization of movement control is a major challenge. Our laboratory addresses this challenge with an interdisciplinary approach that combines multi-electrode recording and stimulation techniques with advanced computational tools in the field of neuromechanics.
Besides the general question of understanding how the brain works we are working on the following specific topics:
- What is the pattern of interactions between multiple redundant neuromechanical mechanisms involved in the control of movement?
- What are the evolutionary constraints of neuromechanical organization?
- What mechanisms are responsible for the way we acquire new motor skills?
- How can we use the hierarchy and redundancy of control pathways to overcome movement deficits due to stroke and spinal cord injury?
Interested in joining the lab?
We are looking for multidisciplinary researchers in physiology, sensorimotor control, neuroengineering and neuromechanics to do experimental work on animals (rats) or humans and/or computational studies. You will be expected to do a good deal of data analysis using Matlab. The current studies are a starting point for future research directions – what you bring to the table in terms of both enthusiasm and skills is just as important.
Biomedical Graduate Program: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/ResOff/PhDPrograms/Biomedical-Sciences/pages/
Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program: (please contact me directly: seyakovenko@mix.wvu.edu)
SURI udergrad summer fellowships: https://sites.google.com/site/neuralengineeringlab/home/jobs/surisummerscholarships
