The implications of resistance training for the control of movement. Resistance training (or weight lifting) is an essential element of comprehensive rehabilitation programs in a wide range of clinical settings. However, because we know little about how the organization of the nervous system is affected by training with high loads, the consequences of resistance training for our ability to control functional movements are unclear. The ultimate goal of this research is to generate basic knowledge ....The implications of resistance training for the control of movement. Resistance training (or weight lifting) is an essential element of comprehensive rehabilitation programs in a wide range of clinical settings. However, because we know little about how the organization of the nervous system is affected by training with high loads, the consequences of resistance training for our ability to control functional movements are unclear. The ultimate goal of this research is to generate basic knowledge about the impact of resistance training on nervous system function. The research will lead to the design of injury prevention and rehabilitation programs that are maximally effective, and provide a genuine benefit to the community.Read moreRead less
Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the ....Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the control system for human movement, and yet is simple enough to inform the design of artificial devices to generate or assist movement. The knowledge derived should improve mechanical and neural prosthetic systems, and guide rehabilitation protocols. The work will ultimately provide a considerable benefit to the community by reducing the social cost of a range of movement disorders.Read moreRead less
An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will ....An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for movement rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced qual ....Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for rehabilitation of the upper limb.Read moreRead less
The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorde ....The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorders.Read moreRead less
Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no correspondin ....Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no corresponding documentation for interception. This project will fill the gap and provide a rich data set for developing an understanding of interception through modeling work. An understanding of the factors governing interception has potential applications in road safety, sports and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
I am a neurophysiologist who examines the neural control of movement and the interaction of sensation and movement in human subjects. I study cortical and motoneuronal events during exercise and muscle fatigue. I also study proprioception i.e. the sensati
Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. T ....Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. The aim is to extend our understanding of the principles, control mechanisms and brain structures involved. Such understanding has the potential to contribute to areas such as road safety, autonomous robotics, sports training and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Neuromuscular adaptations to training, cross training and passive physical interventions: A neurophysiological approach to understanding human performance and musculoskeletal injury. The expected national benefit arising from this research is three fold: (i) developing knowledge of approaches taken to improve exercise performance across the spectrum of novice to elite levels of participation, (ii) improved understanding of the physiological basis for widely applied interventions used to facilita ....Neuromuscular adaptations to training, cross training and passive physical interventions: A neurophysiological approach to understanding human performance and musculoskeletal injury. The expected national benefit arising from this research is three fold: (i) developing knowledge of approaches taken to improve exercise performance across the spectrum of novice to elite levels of participation, (ii) improved understanding of the physiological basis for widely applied interventions used to facilitate exercise, performance, as well as injury prevention and rehabilitation, and (iii) increasing the pool of world-class researchers who will make a substantial difference to the health and wellbeing of the community through one post-doctoral and two doctoral programs. This project will cement existing tertiary-industry sector collaboration, which will ensure long-standing benefits to the community.Read moreRead less
Revealing how the human brain coordinates body movements for applications in health and technology. This project will extend the basic understanding about how the brain controls the movements of our bodies, and how it changes to allow us to adapt and refine our movements. This project will generate information that is critical for applications in the fields of health (e.g. rehabilitation) and technology (e.g. human-machine interfaces).