We perceive the world through our senses and change it through our actions. Neurological dysfunction in sensory or motor processing fundamentally impairs our ability to make decisions and execute purposive behaviors. A variety of our clinicians, clinical-researchers, and basic science researchers are interested in a wide range of sensory and motor disorders, including disorders of vision and audition, apraxia, language disorders, balance, and gait. We study dysfunction at multiple levels, from its impact on behavior and daily life, to the specific neural circuits that are compromised. We use a number of research models and cutting-edge techniques for this purpose. Our ultimate goal is to design new tools to diagnose these disorders and develop novel therapeutic interventions for their amelioration or reversal.
Associated Faculty
+ indicates accepting MS students, * indicates accepting PhD students
Carolanne E. Milligan
Research Interests: ALS; neurodegenerative processes; motoneuron development, survival, stress responses, and dysfunction in disease; neuronal/glial interactions; disease biomarkers; neuro-inflammatory responses.
Barry E. Stein+*
Research Interests: Multisensory Integration, Development, Neurorehabilitation, Vision
Dwayne W. Godwin+
Research Interests: Epilepsy, Alcohol, Memory, MEG
Osvaldo Delbono+*
Research Interests: Role of ion channels in aging neuromuscular system
Robert Gould+*
Research Interests: Substance abuse, sleep, CNS disorders
Rebecca Sappington+*
Research Interests: Glaucoma, molecular neurobiology, neuroinflammation
Michael Stephen Cartwright+
Research Interests: Clinical neuroscience, motor systems, neurodegenerative disease
Mustafa Saad Siddiqui+
Research Interests: Parkinson’s Disease, Essential Tremor, Dystonia
Benjamin A. Rowland+*
Research Interests: Multisensory Integration, Computational Neuroscience, Neural Networks, Neurorehabilitation
James B. Caress
Research Interests: ALS, Clinical studies of motor neuron disease
Christina Elizabeth Hugenschmidt
Research Interests: Aging, diabetes, neuroscience behavior, radiology imaging, nuclear medicine
Rebecca Erwin Wells
Research Interests: Clinical research on mechanisms of pain processing and mindfulness mediation in adults with migraines
Jonathan H. Burdette
Research Interests: Exercise, Aneurysm
James C. Eisenach
Research Interests: Addiction and substance abuse, behavioral and systems neurobiology
Zhongyu John Li
Research Interests: Peripheral nerve repair, extremity injury and pathology, birth palsy, brachial plexus, axillary nerve injury
Thomas 'Jeff' Martin
Research Interests: How pain and drugs of abuse alter cognitive processes, including attention and impulsivity, and the role of discrete cortical and limbic circuit.
Christopher Michael Peters
Research Interests: Chronic pain after surgery (CPAS).
Christopher T. Whitlow
Research Interests: Networks, TBI, Migraine, Alzheimer's
Waldemar Debinski
Research Interests: Brain Neoplasms, Glioblastoma; Ephrin-A1; Receptor, EphA2; Interleukin-13 receptor alpha2 subunit
John A. Wilson Jr.
Research Interests: Trigeminal neuralgia, stroke, acoustic neuroma
Stephen B. Tatter
Research Interests: Neurosurgery
Tao Ma
Research Interests: Alzheimer's