Motor Skill Lab

The Motor Skill Lab is directed by Michelle Marneweck at the University of Oregon’s Department of Human Physiology. The goal of our research is to leverage state-of-the-art behavioral and neurophysiological methods to understand the sensorimotor processes that allow humans to interact skillfully and dexterously with their environment.

• How do we learn, plan, and perform a skilled, dexterous behavior?
• How do we recalibrate and generalize skillful actions in response to the dynamics of an inherently variable environment?
• How do we integrate and transform sensory information during motor planning and motor correction?
• How does the brain compute these above processes?

We leverage a multimodal approach to study sensorimotor control by combining sensitive biomechanical measures (e.g. kinematics and kinetics), with electrophysiological (e.g. TMS) and neuroimaging (e.g. fMRI) measures.

We also work with different populations with degradation in sensorimotor control resulting from neural pathologies occurring at birth or later in life (e.g. cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, aging).

Michelle’s research focuses on the neural circuitry supporting sensorimotor control with a multidisciplinary approach, integrating sensitive behavioral measurement with neurophysiology, neuroimaging, and Bayesian multivariate analyses. Her work contributes to understanding how sensory and motor systems interact for predictive and online action control, and their adaptation to sensory degradation in healthy and clinical populations.

Originally from South Africa, Michelle completed her Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia under Dr. Geoff Hammond, focusing on the sensory processing implications of Parkinson’s disease. During her postdoctoral work at Columbia University with Dr. Andrew Gordon, Michelle investigated sensory and predictive model inputs supporting motor planning using biomechanics. She subsequently secured an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship to study neural representations of sensorimotor control using functional neuroimaging and multivariate analyses under the mentorship of Drs. Scott Grafton and Gary Egan at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Monash University. Establishing her lab in 2020 at the University of Oregon’s Department of Human Physiology, she continues to combine neurophysiology, neuroimaging, and behavioral approaches to advance our understanding of sensorimotor neural control.

Michelle also likes: surfing, skiing, hiking, mosaic hops, and Neopolitan style margarita pizzas.

Nick joined the lab as a Postdoctoral Scholar after completing his PhD at the University of Utah. His research focuses on the anticipatory and reactive control of common daily actions like walking. In his free time Nick likes to golf, hang out with his wife and dog, and check out local breweries.

Catherine Sager is obtaining her PhD in Human Physiology. She came from University of Iowa where she obtained her B.S. in Neuroscience. At University of Iowa she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Brain Sciences and then moved on to work as a research associate in Clinical Research for Cystic Fibrosis and Epileptology. She enjoys motor skills research since it contributes to the understanding of human development, health, learning, and overall quality of life. Outside of research, she enjoys exploring the world, yapping, playing piano, and spending time with her husband and dog.

Philip is a PhD student in the Department of Human Physiology. He earned his M.Sc. in Clinical Exercise Science from the University of Potsdam, where he explored changes in neuromotor control related to Achilles tendinopathy. His PhD research focuses on advancing the understanding of neural control in proprioception and visually guided movement. In his spare time, Philip enjoys playing soccer, trekking, and cooking.

Ale is a 4th year undergraduate student at the UO double majoring in Neuroscience and Human Physiology. She is interested in the mapping of motor functions in the brain as well as neurodegenerative diseases relating to motor function and memory. After completing her undergrad, Ale plans to attend medical school to become a physician. Ale also enjoys hiking, playing and watching sports, baking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Karla is a 4th year undergraduate student at the UO that is majoring in Human Physiology with a minor in Spanish. Her interests lie in examining how different sensory modalities and varying levels of expertise influence behavioral performance and neural representations. After graduating, Karla plans to attend optometry school to become an optometrist. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports, collecting books, traveling, and hanging out with friends.

Kaden is a 4th year undergraduate student at UO, majoring in Data Science with a Domain in Biology. His passion lies in harnessing the power of large-scale statistical analysis, machine learning, and programming to provide insights into motor function, neural processes, and broader human health issues. Aspiring to become a Data Scientist, Kaden hopes to create models and scripts that aid in the exploration, research, and discovery of various biological functions. Kaden also enjoys snowboarding, hiking, sushi, and spending time with his family and friends.

Jackson Zenti is a 4th year undergraduate Computer Science student with a minor in Mathematics. He aims to leverage his programming skills and analytical expertise to contribute to advancements in AI and machine learning. Instead of focusing on one field of AI, Jackson is passionate about mastering the fundamentals of AI to adapt to and solve any complex problem. Outside of academics and work, Jackson likes skiing, making/playing music, biking, and hiking.

The Motor Skill Lab is currently recruiting grad students and research assistants. We are looking for people with an interest in behavioral neuroscientific research, with an emphasis on motor control. We are keen to hear from those with experience (or an interest in acquiring experience) in designing, programming and conducting biomechanics, fMRI, and/or brain stimulation experiments in clinical patients or healthy people.

The lab is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and in maintaining a fun and supportive research environment for everyone.

If you are interested in joining the lab as a PhD student, postdoc, or research assistant, please email Michelle.