Sensory and Motor Disorders

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 

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

Edgar Romero-Sandoval 
Research Interests: Gene Therapy, Pain Research, Inflammation Research, Neuropathy, Cannabis Research 

Leah Solberg Woods
Research Interests: Genetics of Diabetes and Obesity, Genetics of Mental Health, QTL Mapping, Outbred Rodents 

Ruth Benca

Jian-Xing Ma