TITLE of PROJECT
Neural Mechanisms Supporting Implicit and Explicit Sensorimotor Learning
PROJECT SUMMARY
Successful goal-directed actions require a flexible motor control system, one that can quickly respond to changes
in the body (e.g., muscle fatigue) and in the environment (e.g., a windy day). Such flexibility depends on the
operation of multiple learning processes. Implicit learning processes (i.e., implicit adaptation) keep the
sensorimotor system exquisitely calibrated in an automatic manner, whereas explicit learning processes can
facilitate rapid adjustments in a strategic, yet effortful manner. While the cerebellum and basal ganglia are
prominently featured in the motor learning literature, their contribution to sensorimotor adaptation remains
unclear, in part because past studies have employed tasks that conflate implicit and explicit learning processes.
To disentangle the specific contributions of the cerebellum and basal ganglia to sensorimotor adaptation, I will
use a set of behavioral tasks developed in my mentor’s lab that are designed to isolate the contribution of different
learning processes. The results from this work have revised our current computational understanding of
sensorimotor adaptation and have set the stage for taking a new look at the subcortical systems involved in this
form of learning. In the proposed studies, we will test patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and Parkinson’s
disease (PD) on these tasks. In terms of basic research, the results will be important in advancing our
understanding of how distributed neural systems support motor learning. In terms of translational benefit, the
insights from this work will aid physical therapists to better tailor interventions that tap into intact learning
mechanisms or enhance impaired ones.
This NRSA F31 training plan encompasses two specific aims (three experiments) that will be conducted at UC
Berkeley under the supervision of my sponsor, Prof. Richard Ivry. As a PI for 30 years, Prof. Ivry has trained 24
Ph.D. trainees and 21 post-doc fellows, many of whom hold faculty positions at research institutions. Under the
supervision of Prof. Ivry, this proposal outlines a comprehensive training plan, centered on gaining fluency in
computational modeling of behavior, methods in neuropsychology, writing and grantsmanship, presenting and
disseminating research, and clinical pedagogy and mentorship. I will benefit from frequent interactions with Prof.
Hyosub Kim, a former post-doc with Prof. Ivry who is now an Assistant Professor at the Univ. of Delaware. Prof.
Kim provides added expertise in computational modeling and mentorship as a trained physical therapist. I will
also benefit from mentorship provided by Prof. Robert Knight, a Professor and neurologist at UC Berkeley, who
can provide additional training in patient evaluation and general training drawing from many years of stellar
neuropsychological research with many patient groups and trainees. In summary, this training plan will build a
solid foundation for my future role as a PI, working at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and rehabilitation.