Interdisciplinary Neuroscience: Faculty and Staff
The interdisciplinary neuroscience program has over 70 faculty spread across three colleges and 12 departments who participate in the ING program. ING faculty and staff are listed below.
Our Faculty
Understanding the functions of cells and cellular components and the molecular mechanisms that underlie neurogenetic disorders and brain development.
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Ho Ming Chow | hmc@udel.edu | CSCD | Understand how mutations in genes involved in lysosomal enzyme trafficking lead to developmental stuttering |
| Deni Galileo | dgalileo@udel.edu | BISC | Molecular mechanisms that control human glioblastoma cell behavior during tumor formation and invasion using a novel xenograft chick embryo brain tumor model system. In vitro and in vivo approaches are used. |
| Amanda Hernan | ahernan@udel.edu | PBS | Neural dynamics underpinning behavioral impairment in pediatric epilepsy |
| Austin Keeler | abkeeler@udel.edu | BISC | Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted from all cells assessed, but little is known about the role of EVs in somatosensation. We study the formation and function of EVs in developing and adult primary somatosensory neurons. |
| Dayan Knox | dayank@udel.edu | PBS | Stress, central arousal systems, learning & memory |
| Tania Roth | troth@udel.edu | PBS | We are a behavioral epigenetics lab that studies the capacity of early environments and experiences to physically interact and link with our biology, with the goal of understanding the influence of this interaction on the development of behavior. |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | We examine the impact of the immune system and the hormonal system on the development of the brain and behavior, with an interest in the cellular (microglia, neurons and astrocytes) and molecular (cytokines, chemokines and hormones) mechanisms of these processes. We also investigate sex differences in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Lisha Shao | shaol@udel.edu | BISC | We study the genetic and neural mechanisms of reward, the interaction of different reward-driven behaviors, and the regulation of reward-driven behaviors by internal state and environmental stress. |
| Jessica Tanis | jtanis@udel.edu | BISC | We study biogenesis and cargo sorting mechanisms for extracellular vesicles released from C. elegans sensory neurons |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Robert Akins | Robert.Akins@nemours.org | Research in the highly collaborative Akins group focuses on regenerative medicine and precision therapeutics for children requiring major surgical intervention due to conditions acquired at or near the time of birth. The group has particular interests in epigenomic pathways contributing to neuro-motor dysfunction, computational models for the diagnosis and prognosis of complex neurologic diseases, and stem-cell / biomaterials-based approaches that can be individually-tuned for therapeutic use. |
| Matthew Butchbach | merb@udel.edu | The Motor Neuron Diseases Research Laboratory focuses on early-onset motor neuron diseases with a particular interest in the molecular genetics, pathobiology and systems biology of these disorders. We use this multi-faceted approach to drive therapeutics discovery. |
| Michael Gitcho | mgitcho@desu.edu | Gaining a better understanding of mechanisms that lead to the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TDP-43 is the major pathological protein found in over 95% of ALS cases. Aggregation of TDP-43 also occurs in about 50% of those with FTD and AD. Our research focus is to understand pathological mechanisms associated with TDP-43 proteinopathies by working to discover early points of therapeutic intervention associated with changes in functional connectivity and pathology in mouse models of neurodegeneration. |
| Hakeem Lawal | hlawal@desu.edu | My research group is interested in understanding the molecular basis of the presynaptic release of dopamine and acetylcholine from the central nervous system, and we use the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model system to ask fundamental questions about mechanisms of neurotransmitter exocytotic release. |
| Murali Temburni | mtemburni@desu.edu | Research in the Temburni lab is focused on understanding the molecular basis of astrocyte-neuron interactions in the development of neuronal network activity. We use molecular and electrophysiological approaches, particularly multi-electrode array electrophysiology to record and analyse network activity. We also image calcium fluxes in astrocytes to assess their activity. Data from our lab indicates that astrocytes influence the development of network activity, particularly, synchronous firing. We are targeting metabotropic G-protein coupled receptors (mGluR1, P2Y1, GABA-B) within astrocytes with dominant negative approaches to dissect their role in these interactions. |
Cognitive and behavioral neuroscience study the relationship between the biological processes in the brain and the mind and cognition, in humans and animals. The broad aim is to determine how the brain functions and leads to observable behavior.
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Anjana Bhat | abhat@udel.edu | PT | This research examines the relationships between motor and other system development (cognitive/behavioral and social communication) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We study multisystem effects following various movement interventions (rhythm, dance, exercise, exergaming) offered to children with ASD using behavioral, kinematic, and neuroimaging tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). |
| Kathleen Brewer-Smyth, PhD, RN, CRRN, FAAN | kbsmyth@udel.edu | NURS | Adverse childhood experiences and the neurobiology of trauma, resilience and healing throughout the life course |
| Joshua Cashaback | joshcash@udel.edu | BME | We study sensorimotor learning and control in healthy and neurological populations using a complementary blend of behavior and computational modelling. |
| Jasmin Cloutier | jclout@udel.edu | PBS | Social cognition and social neuroscience with an emphasis on research questions related to person perception, person evaluation, and impression formation. Current work often focuses on how interracial contact and social status shapes the outcome of these processes. |
| Matthew Cohen | mlcohen@udel.edu | CSCD | Cognitive assessment of and early intervention for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias |
| Stephanie Del Tufo | sdeltufo@udel.edu | CEHD | Individual differences in language, learning, and literacy. |
| Frances Earle | fsearle@udel.edu | CSD | Learning and memory substrates of speech and language across typical and disordered populations |
| Philip Gable | pagable@udel.edu | PBS | Study of motivation. I examine the interplay of motivation with emotion, personality, control, substance use, and cognitive scope using neurophysiological processes such as EEG frontal asymmetry, EEG beta suppression over the motor cortex, event-related potentials (e.g., RewP, N1, LPP), and transcranial magnetic stimulation. |
| Adrian Gilmore | gilmore@udel.edu | PBS | We study the cognitive and neural systems that support retrieval processes in human memory. We employ behavioral testing, fMRI, and EEG in our investigations. |
| Roberta Golinkoff | roberta@udel.edu | SOE | We focus on the development of language and spatial skills, and the role of play and media in children's learning. We study children from birth through age 6. |
| Amy Griffin | amygriff@udel.edu | PBS | Neural circuitry underlying spatial working memory |
| Alon Hafri | alon@udel.edu | LCS | I combine visual psychophysics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroimaging (functional MRI) to uncover how the brain supports visual and linguistic representations, and the link between the two. |
| Amanda Hernan | ahernan@udel.edu | PBS | Neural dynamics underpinning behavioral impairment in pediatric epilepsy |
| Arild Hestvik | hestvik@udel.edu | LCS | Our lab studies the perception and representation of language at the levels of sounds, words, sentences and meaning |
| William Kenkel | wkenkel@udel.edu | PBS | The neuroendocrine and neurodevelopmental consequences of common birth interventions |
| Dayan Knox | dayank@udel.edu | PBS | Stress and central arousal systems |
| Jennifer Kubota | jtkubota@udel.edu | PBS | The neural and computational correlates of how we form impressions and make decisions about people who are different from us (e.g., from marginalized communities, human versus A.I., social status, gender, race). |
| Michele Lobo | malobo@udel.edu | PT | Understanding how perceptual-motor experiences and interventions can impact motor and cognitive outcomes for children. https://sites.udel.edu/move2learn/ |
| Peter Mende-Siedlecki | pmende@udel.edu | PBS | The social cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie how we dynamically perceive and learn about other people |
| Giovanna Morini | gmorini@udel.edu | CSD | Examining how cognitive abilities change throughout development and how they are associated with language skills (e.g., bilingualism). My lab uses behavioral measures such as eye-tracking to measures these changes (https://sites.udel.edu/slam-lab/research/). |
| Joshua Neunuebel | jneun@udel.edu | PBS | Neural coding of social information |
| Keith Schneider | keithas@udel.edu | PBS | Relationship between the architecture of the human sensory systems and the functions of attention, perception and awareness; dyslexia |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | We examine the impact of the immune system and the hormonal system on the development of the brain and behavior, with an interest in the cellular (microglia, neurons and astrocytes) and molecular (cytokines, chemokines and hormones) mechanisms of these processes. We also investigate sex differences in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Rod C. Scott MD, Ph.D. | Rodney.Scott@nemours.org | PBS | Cognition in brain disease |
| Jennifer Semrau | semrau@udel.edu | KAAP | Sensorimotor integration and neurorehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke and other neurologic injuries/diseases. |
| Lisha Shao | shaol@udel.edu | BISC | We study the genetic and neural mechanisms of reward, the interaction of different reward-driven behaviors, and the regulation of reward-driven behaviors by internal state and environmental stress. |
| Jeffrey Spielberg | jmsp@udel.edu | PBS | Pathological anxiety (e.g., PTSD, worry) and mood (e.g., depression, bipolar) |
| Evan Usler | eusler@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding how speech, language, and cognition interact in typical and clinical populations |
| Amanda Van Horne | ajovh@udel.edu | CSD | Our lab studies underlying cognitive mechanisms that contribute to language learning and use. |
| Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam | mvaziri@udel.edu | PBS | We study the computational and neural mechanisms that enable real-time interactions with objects and people. We use behavioral experiments, body movement tracking, neuroimaging, and computational methods to gain a deeper understanding of visual processing in everyday interactive settings. |
| Katherine Verdolini Abbott | kittie@udel.edu | CSD | Our focus is voice, in all its manifestations, including biomechanical, biological, perceptual-motor, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual. |
| Timothy Vickery | tvickery@udel.edu | PBS | I study human perception and cognition using behavior, psychophysics, and neuroimaging (fMRI). I am particularly interested in how incidental learning affects perception and performance, and the role of perceptual organization and objects in visual perception. |
| Jonathan Wood | jonwood@udel.edu | PT | My lab studies how the human brain controls movement, how it develops and maintains motor skills, and how neurologic disease impacts these processes. |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Michael Gitcho | mgitcho@desu.edu | Gaining a better understanding of mechanisms that lead to the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TDP-43 is the major pathological protein found in over 95% of ALS cases. Aggregation of TDP-43 also occurs in about 50% of those with FTD and AD. Our research focus is to understand pathological mechanisms associated with TDP-43 proteinopathies by working to discover early points of therapeutic intervention associated with changes in functional connectivity and pathology in mouse models of neurodegeneration. |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Austin Brockmeier | ajbrock@udel.edu | ECE | Neural decoding and statistical modeling |
| Joshua Cashaback | joshcash@udel.edu | BME | We study sensorimotor learning and control in healthy and neurological populations using a complementary blend of behavior and computational modelling. |
| Alon Hafri | alon@udel.edu | LCS | I combine visual psychophysics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroimaging (functional MRI) to uncover how the brain supports visual and linguistic representations, and the link between the two. |
| Amanda Hernan | ahernan@udel.edu | PBS | Neural dynamics underpinning behavioral impairment in pediatric epilepsy |
| Austin Keeler | abkeeler@udel.edu | BISC | We utilize the high throughput and multiplexed nature of single-cell mass cytometry to study the role of neurotrophic receptor signaling in the acquisition of neuron cell types through analysis of quantitative, single-cell protein expression and signaling activity datasets. |
| Jennifer Kubota | jtkubota@udel.edu | PBS | The neural and computational correlates of how we form impressions and make decisions about people who are different from us (e.g., from marginalized communities, human versus A.I., social status, gender, race). |
| Joshua Neunuebel | jneun@udel.edu | PBS | Neural coding of social information |
| Wei Qian | weiqian@udel.edu | APEC | My research focuses on developing statistical machine learning methods and theory to analyze complex and large-scale data arising from applied problems. Specific areas of interest include high-dimensional statistics, lifetime data analysis, dimensionality reduction and model selection, network and graphical models, dynamic treatment regimes, deep reinforcement learning, causal inference, and interdisciplinary collaboration with neuroscience. |
| Rod C. Scott MD, Ph.D. | Rodney.Scott@nemours.org | PBS | Cognition in brain disease |
| Abhyudai Singh | absingh@udel.edu | ECE | Prof. Singh’s research interests are in the area of Systems and Control with applications to systems biology and medicine |
| Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam | mvaziri@udel.edu | PBS | We study the computational and neural mechanisms that enable real-time interactions with objects and people. We use behavioral experiments, body movement tracking, neuroimaging, and computational methods to gain a deeper understanding of visual processing in everyday interactive settings. |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Robert Akins | Robert.Akins@nemours.org | Research in the highly collaborative Akins group focuses on regenerative medicine and precision therapeutics for children requiring major surgical intervention due to conditions acquired at or near the time of birth. The group has particular interests in epigenomic pathways contributing to neuro-motor dysfunction, computational models for the diagnosis and prognosis of complex neurologic diseases, and stem-cell / biomaterials-based approaches that can be individually-tuned for therapeutic use. |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Anjana Bhat | abhat@udel.edu | PT | This research examines the relationships between motor and other system development (cognitive/behavioral and social communication) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We study multisystem effects following various movement interventions (rhythm, dance, exercise, exergaming) offered to children with ASD using behavioral, kinematic, and neuroimaging tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). |
| Ho Ming Chow | hmc@udel.edu | CSCD | Neurodevelopmental trajectories in children who stutter |
| Stephanie Del Tufo | sdeltufo@udel.edu | SOE | Neurodevelopmental trajectories of language, learning, and literacy. |
| Mary Dozier | mdozier@udel.edu | PBS | Intervention effects on brain and behavioral development following adversity. |
| Deni Galileo | dgalileo@udel.edu | BISC | Use of the developing chick embryo brain as a xenograft model system for analysis of human glioblastoma cell behavior. |
| Nancy Getchell | getchell@udel.edu | KAAP | Dr. Getchell’s research agenda focuses on ways to improve the ability of children to move successfully in their everyday lives, within the broad area of human motor development and learning. Her early emphasis was on the development of motor coordination and competency in typically and atypically developing children, examining perceptual-cognitive-motor relationships in individuals with learning disabilities, developmental coordination disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Over the past decade, she has shifted focus to examining brain-behavior relationships to better understand the impact of cognitive workload on motor performance, development and learning. |
| Roberta Golinkoff | roberta@udel.edu | CEHD | We focus on the development of language and spatial skills, and the role of play and media in children's learning. We study children from birth through age 6. |
| Arild Hestvik | hestvik@udel.edu | LCS | Our lab studies the perception and representation of language at the levels of sounds, words, sentences and meaning |
| Austin Keeler | abkeeler@udel.edu | BISC | We study the development of peripheral somatosensory (pain, temperature, and touch) systems by investigating the protein signaling pathways that regulate acquisition of distinct neuron cell types and function. We assess the consequence of perturbations in these systems to understand pain conditions. |
| William Kenkel | wkenkel@udel.edu | PBS | The neuroendocrine and neurodevelopmental consequences of common birth interventions |
| Anna Klintsova | klintsov@udel.edu | PBS | Brain plasticity in normal vs damaged brain; Behavioral interventions to enhance brain plasticity. |
| Michele Lobo | malobo@udel.edu | PT | Understanding typical and atypical developmental processes in children to inform the development of effective interventions for children with or at risk for developmental delays. https://sites.udel.edu/move2learn/ |
| Giovanna Morini | gmorini@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding language development across populations of children. Including bilingual children, monolingual children, and children with language learning difficulties. |
| Tania Roth | troth@udel.edu | PBS | We are a behavioral epigenetics lab that studies the capacity of early environments and experiences to physically interact and link with our biology, with the goal of understanding the influence of this interaction on the development of behavior. |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | We examine the impact of the immune system and the hormonal system on the development of the brain and behavior, with an interest in the cellular (microglia, neurons and astrocytes) and molecular (cytokines, chemokines and hormones) mechanisms of these processes. We also investigate sex differences in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Rod C. Scott MD, Ph.D. | Rodney.Scott@nemours.org | PBS | Cognition in brain disease |
| Jeffrey Spielberg | jmsp@udel.edu | PBS | Pathological anxiety (e.g., PTSD, worry) and mood (e.g., depression, bipolar) |
| Evan Usler | eusler@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding how the development of the speech motor system and its interactions with language and cognition |
| Amanda Van Horne | ajovh@udel.edu | CSCD | Our lab studies language development in typical and disordered populations using behavioral methods including language samples, elicited production, and eye-tracking |
| Katherine Verdolini Abbott | kittie@udel.edu | CSCD | Our focus is voice, in all its manifestations, including biomechanical, biological, perceptual-motor, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual. |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Robert Akins | Robert.Akins@nemours.org | Research in the highly collaborative Akins group focuses on regenerative medicine and precision therapeutics for children requiring major surgical intervention due to conditions acquired at or near the time of birth. The group has particular interests in epigenomic pathways contributing to neuro-motor dysfunction, computational models for the diagnosis and prognosis of complex neurologic diseases, and stem-cell / biomaterials-based approaches that can be individually-tuned for therapeutic use. |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Anjana Bhat | abhat@udel.edu | PT | This research examines the relationships between motor and other system development (cognitive/behavioral and social communication) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We study multisystem effects following various movement interventions (rhythm, dance, exercise, exergaming) offered to children with ASD using behavioral, kinematic, and neuroimaging tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). |
| Austin Brockmeier | ajbrock@udel.edu | ECE | Neural signal processing: making sense of multi-modal and multi-scale neural signals and neural imaging using machine learning and data science |
| Roxana Burciu | rgburciu@udel.edu | KAAP | Our lab combines behavioral studies and multi-modal MRI to study how the brain controls voluntary movements in healthy individuals and individuals with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. |
| Ho Ming Chow | hmc@udel.edu | CSCD | Multimodal neuroimaging data fusion techniques |
| Jasmin Cloutier | jclout@udel.edu | PBS | Social cognition and social neuroscience with an emphasis on research questions related to person perception, person evaluation, and impression formation. Current work often focuses on how interracial contact and social status shapes the outcome of these processes. |
| Stephanie Del Tufo | sdeltufo@udel.edu | SOE | Neuroimaging and electrophysiology techniques (MRI, diffusion, MR spectroscopy, EEG, ABR) are used as a tool to study the development and individual differences in language, learning, and literacy. |
| Deni Galileo | dgalileo@udel.edu | BISC | Imaging human glioblastoma cell behavior in vitro and in vivo. Confocal and time-lapse microscopy of glioblastoma cells in a chick embryo brain tumor xenograft model and in live brain slice cultures. |
| Nancy Getchell | getchell@udel.edu | KAAP | Dr. Getchell’s research agenda focuses on ways to improve the ability of children to move successfully in their everyday lives, within the broad area of human motor development and learning. Her early emphasis was on the development of motor coordination and competency in typically and atypically developing children, examining perceptual-cognitive-motor relationships in individuals with learning disabilities, developmental coordination disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Over the past decade, she has shifted focus to examining brain-behavior relationships to better understand the impact of cognitive workload on motor performance, development and learning. |
| Adrian Gilmore | gilmore@udel.edu | PBS | We study the cognitive and neural systems that support retrieval processes in human memory. We employ behavioral testing, fMRI, and EEG in our investigations. |
| Alon Hafri | alon@udel.edu | LCS | I combine visual psychophysics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroimaging (functional MRI) to uncover how the brain supports visual and linguistic representations, and the link between the two. |
| Curtis Johnson | clj@udel.edu | BME | My laboratory develops neuroimaging technologies to assess brain tissue health through biomechanics, and explore applications in neuroscience, neurology, and neurosurgery |
| Anna Klintsova | klintsov@udel.edu | PBS | Light and electron microscopy, small animal MRI and MRE. |
| Dayan Knox | dayank@udel.edu | PBS | Stress and central arousal systems |
| Jennifer Kubota | jtkubota@udel.edu | PBS | The neural and computational correlates of how we form impressions and make decisions about people who are different from us (e.g., from marginalized communities, human versus A.I., social status, gender, race). |
| Christopher Martens | cmartens@udel.edu | KAAP | My laboratory is interested in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. We study novel lifestyle and pharmacological interventions to delay or reverse age-associated memory loss in humans. |
| Peter Mende-Siedlecki | pmende@udel.edu | PBS | The social cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie how we dynamically perceive and learn about other people |
| Wei Qian | weiqian@udel.edu | APEC | My research focuses on developing statistical machine learning methods and theory to analyze complex and large-scale data arising from applied problems. Specific areas of interest include high-dimensional statistics, lifetime data analysis, dimensionality reduction and model selection, network and graphical models, dynamic treatment regimes, deep reinforcement learning, causal inference, and interdisciplinary collaboration with neuroscience. |
| Tania Roth | troth@udel.edu | PBS | We are a behavioral epigenetics lab that studies the capacity of early environments and experiences to physically interact and link with our biology, with the goal of understanding the influence of this interaction on the development of behavior. |
| Keith Schneider | keithas@udel.edu | PBS | Relationship between the architecture of the human sensory systems and the functions of attention, perception and awareness; dyslexia; imaging techniques |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | Immune and endocrine systems influence on the brain and behavior |
| Lisha Shao | shaol@udel.edu | BISC | We study the genetic and neural mechanisms of reward, the interaction of different reward-driven behaviors, and the regulation of reward-driven behaviors by internal state and environmental stress. |
| Jeffrey Spielberg | jmsp@udel.edu | PBS | Pathological anxiety (e.g., PTSD, worry) and mood (e.g., depression, bipolar) |
| Jessica Tanis | jtanis@udel.edu | BISC | We study biogenesis and cargo sorting mechanisms for extracellular vesicles released from C. elegans sensory neurons |
| Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam | mvaziri@udel.edu | PBS | We study the computational and neural mechanisms that enable real-time interactions with objects and people. We use behavioral experiments, body movement tracking, neuroimaging, and computational methods to gain a deeper understanding of visual processing in everyday interactive settings. |
| Katherine Verdolini Abbott | kittie@udel.edu | CSD | Our focus is voice, in all its manifestations, including biomechanical, biological, perceptual-motor, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual. |
| Timothy Vickery | tvickery@udel.edu | PBS | Visual perception, attention, reward, decision-making |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Joshua Cashaback | joshcash@udel.edu | BME | We study sensorimotor learning and control in healthy and neurological populations using a complementary blend of behavior and computational modelling. |
| Stephanie Del Tufo | sdeltufo@udel.edu | CEHD | Individual differences in neuroplasticity that underlie language, learning, and literacy. |
| Frances Earle | fsearle@udel.edu | CSD | Learning and memory substrates of speech and language across typical and disordered populations |
| Nancy Getchell | getchell@udel.edu | KAAP | Dr. Getchell’s research agenda focuses on ways to improve the ability of children to move successfully in their everyday lives, within the broad area of human motor development and learning. Her early emphasis was on the development of motor coordination and competency in typically and atypically developing children, examining perceptual-cognitive-motor relationships in individuals with learning disabilities, developmental coordination disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Over the past decade, she has shifted focus to examining brain-behavior relationships to better understand the impact of cognitive workload on motor performance, development and learning. |
| Adrian Gilmore | gilmore@udel.edu | PBS | We study the cognitive and neural systems that support retrieval processes in human memory. We employ behavioral testing, fMRI, and EEG in our investigations. |
| Roberta Golinkoff | roberta@udel.edu | SOE | We focus on the development of language and spatial skills, and the role of play and media in children's learning. We study children from birth through age 6. |
| Amy Griffin | amygriff@udel.edu | PBS | Neural circuitry underlying spatial working memory |
| Amanda Hernan | ahernan@udel.edu | PBS | Neural dynamics underpinning behavioral impairment in pediatric epilepsy |
| Arild Hestvik | hestvik@udel.edu | LCS | Neural measures of implicit vs. explicit learning of artificial grammars |
| Dayan Knox | dayank@udel.edu | PBS | Stress and central arousal systems |
| Giovanna Morini | gmorini@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding how language learning might change across the life span and might related to changes in other domains (e.g., neural and cognitive changes). |
| Susanne Morton | smmorton@udel.edu | PT | My lab studies mechanisms of motor learning in health and disease |
| Darcy Reisman | dreisman@udel.edu | PT | We study different forms of locomotor learning in persons with neurologic conditions and examine factors that impact learning |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | We examine the impact of the immune system and the hormonal system on the development of the brain and behavior, with an interest in the cellular (microglia, neurons and astrocytes) and molecular (cytokines, chemokines and hormones) mechanisms of these processes. We also investigate sex differences in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Rod C. Scott MD, Ph.D. | Rodney.Scott@nemours.org | PBS | Cognition in brain disease |
| Jennifer Semrau | semrau@udel.edu | KAAP | Sensorimotor integration and neurorehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke and other neurologic injuries/diseases. |
| Fabrizio Sergi | fabs@udel.edu | BME | We develop robotic devices for physical interaction with humans and study how robots can be of assistance or rehabilitation of motor function after injury of the central nervous system. |
| Lisha Shao | shaol@udel.edu | BISC | We study the genetic and neural mechanisms of reward, the interaction of different reward-driven behaviors, and the regulation of reward-driven behaviors by internal state and environmental stress. |
| Amanda Van Horne | ajovh@udel.edu | CSD | A core focus of our lab is on intervention studies, which are at their heart, studies of language learning. |
| Timothy Vickery | tvickery@udel.edu | PBS | Visual perception, attention, reward, decision-making |
| Jonathan Wood | jonwood@udel.edu | PT | My lab studies how the human brain controls movement, how it develops and maintains motor skills, and how neurologic disease impacts these processes. |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Anjana Bhat | abhat@udel.edu | PT | This research examines the relationships between motor and other system development (cognitive/behavioral and social communication) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We study multisystem effects following various movement interventions (rhythm, dance, exercise, exergaming) offered to children with ASD using behavioral, kinematic, and neuroimaging tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). |
| Kathleen Brewer-Smyth, PhD, RN, CRRN, FAAN | kbsmyth@udel.edu | NURS | Biobehavioral outcomes for adult survivors of adverse childhood experiences, and the neurobiology of trauma, resilience and healing throughout the life course |
| Thomas Buckley | tbuckley@udel.edu | KAAP | Dynamic Postural Control following both concussion and the lifelong effects of repetitive head trauma |
| Roxana Burciu | rgburciu@udel.edu | KAAP | Our lab utilizes brain imaging techniques to investigate how the brain generates and regulates movement in both healthy individuals and those affected by movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease |
| Ho Ming Chow | hmc@udel.edu | CSCD | Developmental and neurogenic speech disorders |
| Matthew Cohen | mlcohen@udel.edu | CSCD | Cognitive assessment of and early intervention for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias |
| Stephanie Del Tufo | sdeltufo@udel.edu | CEHD | The DANE laboratory studies developmental disorders (e.g., developmental dyslexia, ADHD). |
| Frances Earle | fsearle@udel.edu | CSD | Learning and memory substrates of speech and language across typical and disordered populations |
| Philip Gable | pagable@udel.edu | PBS | Study of motivation. I examine the interplay of motivation with emotion, personality, control, substance use, and cognitive scope using neurophysiological processes such as EEG frontal asymmetry, EEG beta suppression over the motor cortex, event-related potentials (e.g., RewP, N1, LPP), and transcranial magnetic stimulation. |
| Amanda Hernan | ahernan@udel.edu | PBS | Neural dynamics underpinning behavioral impairment in pediatric epilepsy |
| Jill Higginson | higginso@udel.edu | MechEngr | The fundamental objective of our research group is to improve the understanding of muscle coordination for normal and pathological movements through coupled experimental and simulation studies. We use computational models to develop a cause-and-effect framework that relates muscle impairments to gait deviations. The overarching goal is to form a scientific rationale for therapeutic interventions to improve movement. |
| John Jeka | jjeka@udel.edu | KAAP | Our research group investigates how the nervous system uses sensory information (vision, inner ear) to estimate body dynamics and guide motor processes for upright balance control. The applied goal is to better understand patient populations with neurological disease and injury that lead to balance problems. |
| Curtis Johnson | clj@udel.edu | BME | My laboratory develops neuroimaging technologies to assess brain tissue health through biomechanics, and explore applications in neuroscience, neurology, and neurosurgery |
| Austin Keeler | abkeeler@udel.edu | BISC | We study the development of peripheral somatosensory (pain, temperature, and touch) systems by investigating the protein signaling pathways that regulate acquisition of distinct neuron cell types and function. We assess the consequence of perturbations in these systems to understand pain conditions. |
| William Kenkel | wkenkel@udel.edu | PBS | The neuroendocrine and neurodevelopmental consequences of common birth interventions |
| Anna Klintsova | klintsov@udel.edu | PBS | Brain plasticity in normal vs damaged brain; Behavioral interventions to enhance brain plasticity. |
| Samuel Lee | slee@udel.edu | PT | Improve the function of individuals with central nervous system injury through the application of electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed or weakened muscles and to enhance somatosensation. To this end, I am interested in the use of electrical stimulation as a tool to study the physiologic characteristics of muscle and the central and peripheral nervous systems; applied as a rehabilitative or training method to improve muscle function and strength; as a method to produce functional movement (FES) of impaired muscles; and to enhance somatosensation to improve balance. |
| Christopher Martens | cmartens@udel.edu | My laboratory is interested in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. We study novel lifestyle and pharmacological interventions to delay or reverse age-associated memory loss in humans. | |
| Susanne Morton | smmorton@udel.edu | PT | My lab studies motor control and motor learning deficits associated with stroke, cerebellar disease, and mild cognitive impairment |
| Darcy Reisman | dreisman@udel.edu | The purpose of our work is to develop scientifically-based therapies to advance physical rehabilitation and recovery after stroke | |
| Tania Roth | troth@udel.edu | PBS | We are a behavioral epigenetics lab that studies the capacity of early environments and experiences to physically interact and link with our biology, with the goal of understanding the influence of this interaction on the development of behavior. |
| Keith Schneider | keithas@udel.edu | PBS | Relationship between the architecture of the human sensory systems and the functions of attention, perception and awareness; dyslexia |
| Jaclyn Schwarz | jschwarz@udel.edu | PBS | We examine the impact of the immune system and the hormonal system on the development of the brain and behavior, with an interest in the cellular (microglia, neurons and astrocytes) and molecular (cytokines, chemokines and hormones) mechanisms of these processes. We also investigate sex differences in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Rod C. Scott MD, Ph.D. | Rodney.Scott@nemours.org | PBS | Cognition in brain disease |
| Jennifer Semrau | semrau@udel.edu | KAAP | Sensorimotor integration and neurorehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke and other neurologic injuries/diseases. |
| Fabrizio Sergi | fabs@udel.edu | We develop robotic d for physical interaction with humans and study how robots can be of assistance or rehabilitation of motor function after injury of the central nervous system. | |
| Jeffrey Spielberg | jmsp@udel.edu | PBS | pathological anxiety (e.g., PTSD, worry) and mood (e.g., depression, bipolar) |
| Evan Usler | eusler@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding motor speech and fluency disorders. |
| Amanda Van Horne | ajovh@udel.edu | CSD | Our lab studies developmental language disorder, which is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting language learning and use |
| Katherine Verdolini Abbott | kittie@udel.edu | CSD | Our focus is voice, in all its manifestations, including biomechanical, biological, perceptual-motor, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual. |
| Elizabeth Wright-Jin | elizabeth.wright-jin@nemours.org | PBS | Our laboratory investigates the interaction of maternal immune activation with neonatal brain injury, specifically in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. We study the effects of the immune system on brain development and repair after injury. We intersect with development, computational methods, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, cognitive/behavioral methodology, and imaging as we use a wide variety of research methodologies to achieve our goals. |
| Jonathan Wood | jonwood@udel.edu | PT | My lab studies how the human brain controls movement, how it develops and maintains motor skills, and how neurologic disease impacts these processes. |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Robert Akins | Robert.Akins@nemours.org | Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory (TERM)/Nemours |
| Matthew Butchbach | merb@udel.edu | The Motor Neuron Diseases Research Laboratory focuses on early-onset motor neuron diseases with a particular interest in the molecular genetics, pathobiology and systems biology of these disorders. We use this multi-faceted approach to drive therapeutics discovery. |
| Michael Gitcho | mgitcho@desu.edu | Gaining a better understanding of mechanisms that lead to the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TDP-43 is the major pathological protein found in over 95% of ALS cases. Aggregation of TDP-43 also occurs in about 50% of those with FTD and AD. Our research focus is to understand pathological mechanisms associated with TDP-43 proteinopathies by working to discover early points of therapeutic intervention associated with changes in functional connectivity and pathology in mouse models of neurodegeneration. |
| Hakeem Lawal | hlawal@desu.edu | My research is focused on determining gene-environmental interaction relevant to Parkinson's disease, uncovering genetic factors that underlie susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, and identifying viable therapeutic strategies against both disorders. |
UD Faculty
| Name/Profile | Department | Research Focus | |
| Anjana Bhat | abhat@udel.edu | PT | This research examines the relationships between motor and other system development (cognitive/behavioral and social communication) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We study multisystem effects following various movement interventions (rhythm, dance, exercise, exergaming) offered to children with ASD using behavioral, kinematic, and neuroimaging tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). |
| Thomas Buckley | tbuckley@udel.edu | KAAP | Dynamic Postural Control following both concussion and the lifelong effects of repetitive head trauma |
| Joshua Cashaback | joshcash@udel.edu | BME | We study sensorimotor learning and control in healthy and neurological populations using a complementary blend of behavior and computational modelling. |
| Ho Ming Chow | hmc@udel.edu | CSCD | Roles of auditory and sensormotor feedback in speech production |
| Philip Gable | pagable@udel.edu | PBS | Study of motivation. I examine the interplay of motivation with emotion, personality, control, substance use, and cognitive scope using neurophysiological processes such as EEG frontal asymmetry, EEG beta suppression over the motor cortex, event-related potentials (e.g., RewP, N1, LPP), and transcranial magnetic stimulation. |
| John Jeka | jjeka@udel.edu | KAAP | Our research group investigate how the nervous system uses sensory information (vision, inner ear) to estimate body dynamics and guide motor processes for upright balance control. The applied goal is to better understand patient populations with neurological disease and injury that lead to balance problems. |
| Samuel Lee | slee@udel.edu | PT | Improve the function of individuals with central nervous system injury through the application of electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed or weakened muscles and to enhance somatosensation. To this end, I am interested in the use of electrical stimulation as a tool to study the physiologic characteristics of muscle and the central and peripheral nervous systems; applied as a rehabilitative or training method to improve muscle function and strength; as a method to produce functional movement (FES) of impaired muscles; and to enhance somatosensation to improve balance. |
| Michele Lobo | malobo@udel.edu | PT | Development and evaluation of novel technologies and activity-based interventions to advance motor and cognitive development for children with or at risk for developmental delays and learning disabilities. https://sites.udel.edu/move2learn/ |
| Stuart McCaughey | smccaugh@udel.edu | PBS | Taste sensation, feeding behavior |
| Susanne Morton | smmorton@udel.edu | PT | My lab investigates sensorimotor control for the purposes of understanding movement and enhancing rehabilitation interventions for individuals with neurological disorders |
| Joshua Neunuebel | jneun@udel.edu | PBS | Neural coding of social information |
| Darcy Reisman | dreisman@udel.edu | PT | We combine clinical and behavioral studies to understand movement deficits in persons with neurological conditions |
| Keith Schneider | keithas@udel.edu | PBS | Relationship between the architecture of the human sensory systems and the functions of attention, perception and awareness; dyslexia |
| Jennifer Semrau | semrau@udel.edu | KAAP | Sensorimotor integration and neurorehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke and other neurologic injuries/diseases. |
| Fabrizio Sergi | fabs@udel.edu | BME | We develop robotic devices for physical interaction with humans and study how robots can be of assistance or rehabilitation of motor function after injury of the central nervous system. |
| Charles Swanik | cswanik@udel.edu | KAAP | Our lab studies the interaction between neurologic and biomechanical aspects of injury proneness. Most common neuromusculoskeletal injuries are caused by brief errors in judgment or interruption of coordination. This momentary loss of situational awareness can be studied by measuring how the brain controls protective muscle tone/stiffness. |
| Evan Usler | eusler@udel.edu | CSCD | Understanding speech motor processes and its interactions with language and cognition. |
| Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam | mvaziri@udel.edu | PBS | We study the computational and neural mechanisms that enable real-time interactions with objects and people. We use behavioral experiments, body movement tracking, neuroimaging, and computational methods to gain a deeper understanding of visual processing in everyday interactive settings. |
| Katherine Verdolini Abbott | kittie@udel.edu | CSD | Our focus is voice, in all its manifestations, including biomechanical, biological, perceptual-motor, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual. |
| Timothy Vickery | tvickery@udel.edu | PBS | Visual perception, attention, reward, decision-making |
Other Institutions
| Name/Profile | Research Focus | |
| Robert Akins | Robert.Akins@nemours.org | Research in the highly collaborative Akins group focuses on regenerative medicine and precision therapeutics for children requiring major surgical intervention due to conditions acquired at or near the time of birth. The group has particular interests in epigenomic pathways contributing to neuro-motor dysfunction, computational models for the diagnosis and prognosis of complex neurologic diseases, and stem-cell / biomaterials-based approaches that can be individually-tuned for therapeutic use. |
Executive Committee
| Name | Department | Contact |
| Gable, Philip, Program Director | Psychological & Brain Sciences | pagable@udel.edu |
| Chow, Ho Ming, Associate Director | Communication Sciences & Disorders | hmc@udel.edu |
| Burciu, Roxana | Kinesiology & Applied Physiology | rgburciu@udel.edu |
| Griffin, Amy | Psychological & Brain Sciences | amygriff@udel.edu |
| Hafri, Alon | Linguistics & Cognitive Science | alon@udel.edu |
| Neunuebel, Joshua | Psychological & Brain Sciences | jneun@udel.edu |
| Schneider, Keith | Psychological & Brain Sciences | keithas@udel.edu |
| Shao, Lisha | Biological Sciences | shaol@udle.edu |
Connect
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