Motor Control And Movement Science

Emory’s motor-control researchers utilize functional imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate cortical reorganization following cerebrovascular injury and during rehabilitation. Complementary research employs electrophysiology and biomechanics to explore recovery pathways after stroke or spinal cord injury. Investigatory themes range from the fundamental principles of motor-pattern-generating circuits—utilizing both invertebrate models and mammalian locomotor systems—to the neural plasticity of complex behaviors, such as birdsong. Furthermore, faculty examine the roles of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and spinal cord in both healthy movement and clinical disorders. This comprehensive expertise extends to the molecular basis of inherited neurological conditions, vestibular and visual integration in oculomotor control, and the pathophysiology and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.