About

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.

Some topics that are currently keeping us entertained:
  • 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).

Papers

Marneweck et al. 2023. Reorganization of sensorimotor representations of the intact limb after upper but not lower limb traumatic amputation. NeuroImage: Clinical.

Bland, Davare, Marneweck, 2023. Visual information following object grasp supports digit position variability and swift anticipatory force control. Journal of Neurophysiology.

Mitchell, Marneweck* et al. 2021. Motor adaptation via distributional learning. Journal of Neural Engineering. *Joint co-first author.

Marneweck, Grafton, 2020. Overt and covert object features mediate timing of patterned brain activity during motor planning. Cerebral Cortex Communications.

Marneweck, Grafton, 2020. Neural substrates of anticipatory motor adaptation for object lifting. Nature Scientific Reports.

Marneweck, Grafton, 2020. Representational neural mapping of dexterous grasping before lifting in humans. Journal of Neuroscience.

Marneweck et al. 2018. Neural representations of sensorimotor memory- and digit position-based load force adjustments before the onset of dexterous object manipulation. Journal of Neuroscience.

Marneweck et al. 2018. The relationship between hand function and overlapping motor representations of the hands in the contralesional hemisphere in unilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.

Marneweck Flamand, 2016. Elucidating the neural circuitry underlying planning of internally-guided voluntary action. Journal of Neurophysiology.

Marneweck et al. 2016. Digit position and forces covary during anticipatory control of whole-hand manipulation. Frontiers in Human Neurosciences.

Lee-Miller et al. 2016. Visual cues of object properties differentially affect anticipatory planning of digit forces and placement. PLoS One.

Marneweck et al. 2015. Generalization of dexterous object manipulation is specific to the frame of reference in which it was learned. PLoS One

Marneweck, Vallence, 2015. The neural bases of different levels of action understanding. Journal of Neurophysiology.

Marneweck, Hammond, 2014. Voluntary control of facial musculature in Parkinson’s disease. Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

Marneweck, Hammond, 2014. Discriminating facial expressions of emotion and its link with perceiving visual form in Parkinson’s disease. Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

Marneweck et al. 2014. Discrimination and recognition of facial expressions of emotion and their links with voluntary control of facial musculature in Parkinson’s disease. Neuropsychology.

Marneweck et al. 2013. Psychophysical measures of sensitivity to facial expression of emotion. Frontiers in Psychology.

Marneweck et al. 2011. Short-interval intracortical inhibition and manual dexterity in healthy aging. Neuroscience Research.

People

Michelle Marneweck, Principal Investigator


Michelle’s research center around the neural- and sensorimotor control processes that allow humans to skillfully and dexterously interact with their environment, as well as effects of damage to or aging of such processes. She studies these processes from multimodal perspectives that bridge biomechanics, neurophysiology and neuroimaging.

Originally from South Africa, Michelle earned a Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia. Subsequently, she completed her postdoctoral training at Columbia University in New York, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Monash University in Melbourne. Michelle joined the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon in 2020.

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

Nick Kreter, Postdoctoral researcher


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, Master's student


Catherine Sager is obtaining her Master's in Psychology. 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 Cesearch 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 hiking, exploring the ocean, crafting, playing piano, and spending time with her husband and dog.

Ale Harris Caceres, Research Assistant


Ale is a 3rd-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.

Ella Diamond, Research Assistant


Ella is currently a 4th-year Neuroscience major and Chemistry and Biology double minor. She is very interested in learning and researching how aging effects the central nervous system and how that in turn effects motor skills. After achieving an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, Ella plans to attend medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. In her free time, Ella loves to hike, travel, adventure, find good spots to eat, and spend time with her friends and family.

Kaden Coulter, Research Assistant


Kaden is a 3rd-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.

[Your name here]


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.

Contact

Join our lab and live in a place where beauty is around every corner! We have exciting positions starting Fall 2025. We will be accepting graduate students through the Department of Human Physiology Research PhD Program.

Please e-mail Michelle if interested. I support all students regardless of immigration status or country of origin.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

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Our research group promotes a diverse, equitable, and inclusive working environment. Collectively, we have listed our group norms below:
  • We acknowledge that disagreement can be beneficial. We value disagreeing in a respectful manner and without interrupting. We disagree with ideas, but do not attack the person presenting the idea. Be open to constructive feedback. Make others feel comfortable to participate when disagreeing on topics.
  • We will be open to others’ ideas by actively listening and take all ideas seriously and openly. We will provide feedback in a respectful manner by not attacking people or being dismissive of their contributions. We acknowledge that disagreement can be beneficial and value disagreeing in a respectful manner.
  • Nurture an environment where everyone is supported, celebrated and enjoyed in doing their best work. Lift each other up and celebrate individual and community achievements. Remeember how lucky we are to be doing what we love in and through the context of our jobs.
  • Aim for transparency in processes whenever possible. Communicate process steps or process change efforts with an understanding that not everyone knows existing or historical contexts. Provide clear expectations and feedback. Be transparent in taking accountibility for ones actions without placing blame on someone else.
  • Encourage a mindset of ongoing learning and development. Support team members in acquiring new skills, attending relevant workshops, and staying informed about emerging trends in the field. We encourage the development of mentoring relationships.
  • Ask for help when needed and provide possible solutions and/or help to others when you can.