Assistant Professor, Neurology| MnDRIVE Neuromodulation Scholar
I am a clinical neurologist specializing in movement disorders and a research physiologist specializing in control of voluntary movement. My goal is to combine the two roles fruitfully. My lab studies the extrapyramidal motor system in humans with an emphasis on disease states and neurosurgical therapies. The lab's focus is on the basal ganglia (BG) and on Parkinson's disease (PD). We use deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a tool to understand BG function and, malfunction in PD and we also study DBS therapeutic mechanisms in their own right. The research has a strong translational slant aimed at developing improved approaches to DBS and neuromodulation. We collaborate extensively with bioengineers, neurosurgeons, and neuropsychologists in the U of MN neuromodulation group. As a physician and also as a scientist, I've been privileged to learn a great deal from patients. The insight I gain from treating patient's with Parkinson's always informs and improves my research, and vice versa.
Research Overview
