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.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
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.