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Dr R Reynolds
Prof RC Miall
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
When reaching for an object which unexpectedly moves, hand trajectory is adjusted within a remarkably short latency of the visual stimulus. There is some evidence from split-brain patients suggesting that the relevant sensorimotor pathway completely bypasses the cerebral cortex, which would explain the rapidity of these movements. However, contradictory evidence gained from magnetic stimulation experiments suggests a crucial role for the parietal cortex in updating hand trajectory. The purpose of this project is to solve this controversy by analysing brain activity during reaching movements. Electroencephalography (EEG) and Magnetoencepholography (MEG) recordings will be made in volunteers reaching to targets which sometimes unexpectedly jump. Hand kinematics will be compared to brain activity to determine which regions are implicated in producing the movement. By comparing the activity and latency of brain events versus hand movement, this will reveal which areas of the cortex are involved and when.
The project will be jointly supervised by Dr Raymond Reynolds (Sport Sciences) and Professor Chris Miall (Psychology).
The project will be jointly supervised by Dr Raymond Reynolds (Sport Sciences) and Professor Chris Miall (Psychology).
Funding Notes
This is a 4 year position funded by the BBSRC. The first year includes taught courses, a professional internship and 2 mini-projects at one of our partner institutions (Universities of Warwick and Leicester). The stipend is £13,500 p.a. To apply, or for more information please contact Raymond Reynolds ([Email Address Removed]; 0121 414 4107)
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Career overview
Dr Raymond Reynolds holds a BSc in Animal Physiology from the University of Reading, an MSc in Neuroscience from University College London, and a PhD from Imperial College London, where he investigated gait adaptation and after-effects. Following the completion of his PhD, Dr Reynolds spent four years at the Institute of Neurology under the supervision of Professor Brian Day, focusing on the sensory guidance of limb trajectory. He joined the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham in October 2007. Dr Reynolds has a broad range of research interests within human motor control, particularly in sensorimotor control of balance, reaching, and tremor. His research is supported by the BBSRC and includes themes such as vestibular control of posture, the relationship between muscle activity and hand movement during static postures, and the neural mechanisms underlying online visual control of movement.
Research interests
Dr Reynolds has a wide range of interests within the field of human motor control, focusing on sensorimotor control of balance, reaching, and tremor. His research themes include the vestibular control of posture, examining how the brain transforms vestibular signals into appropriate responses for balance, and the use of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to reveal mechanisms underlying sensorimotor control of standing. He investigates tremor using Fourier and wavelet methods to distinguish between neural and mechanical origins of physiological tremor. Additionally, Dr Reynolds studies the neural basis of online visual control of movement, employing target jump paradigms to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying online control of reaching and stepping in both healthy individuals and stroke patients. His research is supported by various funding sources, including the BBSRC and the European Space Agency.
Human Motor Control
Sensorimotor Control
Balance
Reaching
Tremor
Vestibular Control
Postural Adaptation
Neural Mechanisms
Visual Control of Movement
Muscle Activity
Physiological Tremor
Gait Adaptation
Brain Imaging
Neural Stimulation
Sensory Guidance
Proprioception
Ankle Stiffness
Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
Ageing Balance
Movement Rehabilitation
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