The work in our laboratory is focused on developing new methods and approaches for identifying mechanisms that underlie voluntary and involuntary movement. Our work has focused on movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, ataxia, and tremors which strip away the ability to act on our environment. Each disease causes unwanted movements, makes desired movements more difficult to perform, and also affects how we think and process our emotions. To be effective, research into movement disorders must cross disciplines, and enhance the translation of basic science discoveries to help humans move more effectively. Our laboratory is focused on mouse, rat, and human studies to more effectively understand brain circuits and treatment interventions.
Research Highlights:
- Developing MRI markers of disease progression in Parkinson’s disease
- Conducting functional and structural imaging studies of genetic knock-in mouse models of dystonia
- Published in Neuroimage, Brain, Cerebral Cortex, and Journal of Neuroscience in the past few years
- Participates in the Parkinson’s Disease Biomarker Program (PDBP)
- Lab is funded by the NIH and Foundation support