CAREER: Sensorimotor Control of Hand Movement

LAY ABSTRACT Principal Investigator: Gordon, Andrew Proposal Number: IBN-97332679 The objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to understand how sensory information is used for the planning and control of hand movement. Professor Gordon and his students employ state-of-the-art techniques which allow precise measurement of hand and finger movements and forces during tasks such as typing, reaching and grasping. They study how tactile information contributes to the sequencing of movements (typing), how these sequences are learned, and the coordination between hand and eye movement during typing. They also study the contribution of tactile information to the regulation of fingertip forces during object manipulation and how tactile cues may provide information about the location of the limb in space. These studies provide insight into the nature of learning and organization of movement in the brain. The educational component of this CAREER project beyond involvement of students in this research is to form an interdepartmental cooperation with the Program in Science Education. This enhances teacher preparation by introducing Science Education doctoral students to research in systems neuroscience. Professor Gordon engages these students in research which foster an understanding of the methodology and rationale of science in order to facilitate exploration of the nature of science and scientific inquiry in the classroom and improve the learning process through the process of discovery.