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Center for Movement Science and Technology

Integration of the neural, biomechanical, cognitive, and clinical sciences for the study of action

The major goals of C-MOST are to prepare new generations of highly qualified scientists and to facilitate cutting-edge research focused on understanding human motor control and coordination, deficits in motor function, and recovery of function in patients with neurological and orthopedic impairment. The Center for Movement Science and Technology (CMOST) is focused on facilitating interdisciplinary and translational research across the disciplines that address movement science and clinical motor disorders and conditions. We are particularly interested in facilitating bidirectional translation, involving exploiting clinical conditions to understand basic motor control and coordination processes, and exploiting basic science to inform clinical understanding and help to design clinical interventions. 

News

Alternative understanding of brain leads to new treatments for stroke patients

Since the early 20th century, researchers believed that movements on the right and left sides of the body were controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain. However, Penn State researcher Robert Sainburg proposed the complimentary dominance hypothesis, which states that both sides of the brain have a role to play in control of both sides of the body.

$4M grant funds project to make robotic prostheses more like biological limbs

Prosthetic hands that incorporate robotics can perform dexterous self-care tasks, but they are often hard to operate, requiring a user’s constant attention with a limited number of hand functions. With a five-year, $4 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant, Penn State researchers aim to make robotic protheses more useful for people living with amputations.

Robert Sainburg named Huck Chair in Kinesiology and Neurology

Robert “Bob” Sainburg, professor of kinesiology and of neurology and director of the Huck Institutes’ Center for Movement Science and Technology, has been named Huck Distinguished Chair in Kinesiology and Neurology.

Assistant professor intends to bridge gap between humans and robots

Katie Fitzsimons will join the Penn State College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) as an assistant professor in January 2021. Through her research, Fitzsimons plans to advance robotics, powered by a greater understanding of human motion and behavior.