Neural mechanisms of learning multiple motor skills and implications for motor rehabilitation

A hallmark of the motor system is its ability to execute different skilled movements as the situation warrants, thanks to the flexibility of motor learning. Despite many behavioral studies on motor learning, the neural mechanisms of motor memory formation and modification remain unclear. Xulu Sun hopes to develop a neural population dynamics framework, combined with novel haptic-based behavioral tasks and neurophysiological experiments in monkeys, to probe the mechanisms of learning multiple motor skills. Xulu will leverage the neural mechanisms and monkey models to design sensory cues that can enhance learning capacity, which will provide insight into new rehabilitation methods for people with motor disabilities.