The focus of the seminar series is to call for experts related to academia and research in the areas related to biomechanics, variability, motor disorders, physical therapy, and related studies.

Presentation Title: The Stuff Between Cortex and Muscles

Presentation Abstract:

The mechanical complexities of vertebrate musculoskeletal systems have been extensively modeled. How those complexities are addressed by the many subsystems of the vertebrate nervous system remains unclear. Those subsystems emerged at different points of phylogenetic evolution and they develop at different times during individual ontogeny; nevertheless, they must all work together in the adult. Any attempt to interpret anatomical or physiological data from any of them involves implicit assumptions about the role of the others – a theory of computation. By studying very fast tasks like catching an unpredictable object, we have identified that subcortical systems are performing computations normally ascribed to cerebral cortex. By modeling the fetal self-organization of subcortical circuits, we have obtained insights into how that capability arises.

About the speaker:

Gerald Loeb is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Medical Device Development Facility at the University of Southern California.

He received B.A. and M.D. degrees from Johns Hopkins University and surgical training at the University of Arizona.  From 1973 to 1988, he was an intramural research scientist and Chief of the Section on Neurokinesiology in the Laboratory of Neural Control at the National Institutes of Health.  He was Professor of Physiology and Director of the Biomedical Engineering Unit at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, until 1999.

Dr. Loeb’s research has alternated between basic research in musculoskeletal mechanics and sensorimotor control and applied research on implantable electronic devices, particularly neural prostheses. He has published over 400 articles (most available at http://mddf.usc.edu) and is an inventor on over 75 issued US patents. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, served as Chief Scientist to Advanced Bionics Corp. and was a founding director of SynTouch Inc., designated a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.