About Us

We are a team of neuroscientists, neurologists, and engineers with a passion to improve the quality of life for those with movement disorders.

Our Mission

To understand human motor control in both healthy and diseased states to improve our understanding of pathophysiology and lay the groundwork for novel therapies.

Our Team

Our team is consists of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and visiting students from across multidisciplinary backgrounds.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Robert Chen, MA, MSc, MB BCh, MB BChir

Dr. Chen is a Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at the University of Toronto, a Senior Scientist at Krembil Research Institute, and Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

To date, he has published over 400 peer-reviewed research papers. With over 47,000 citations and an H-index of 111. He has largely contributed to the fields of neurology, neurophysiology, and neuromodulation.

His current research interests include focused ultrasound stimulation as a research tool and potential therapy…

Technical & Clinical Research

Utpal Saha, BSc. EEE, Diploma in Medical Product Development

Research Associate

Provide research project support for the technical design of experiments involving EEG (Electroencephalography), EMG (Electromyography) EP (Evoked Potentials), TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), FUS (Focused Ultrasound), tDCS (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), tES (transcranial Electrical Stimulation), and EEG+fMRI

Analyze experimental data, develop algorithms, and create customized devices and circuits as needed to meet specific project requirements.

Ensure optimal performance and accuracy of technical setups and devices. Maintain and calibrate equipment to ensure it meets necessary standards and performs accurately. Electromyography (EMG)

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Dr. Jean-Francois Nankoo, PhD

Neurophysiology, brain stimulation, movement disorders

Previous experience: BA and MA, York University; PhD, University of Alberta

Current Projects:

I am currently conducting a series of studies to investigate the effects of low-intensity focused ultrasound (TUS) on the cerebellum. In particular I am looking at the effects of cerebellar TUS motor adaptation. I am also conducting a study investigating different parameters of cerebellar TUS on motor cortex excitability. I am also conducting a series of clinical studies looking at the potential viability of cerebellar TUS as a treatment modality for patients with Orthostatic tremor, freezing of gait, and cervical dystonia. In these studies, I assess the effects of cerebellar TUS on abnormal functional connectivity (using fMRI) and on symptoms. I also use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to generate functional maps to be used for brain surgery planning. This informs where the surgical team can enter the brain without causing any permanent functional deficit.

Dr. Naaz Desai, PhD

Neuromodulation, non-invasive stimulation, neurorehabilitation

Previous experience: MSc, University of Manitoba; PhD, University of Toronto

Current Projects:

Investigating the effects of peripheral electrical stimulation in combination with low intensity focused ultrasound on upper extremity fine motor function"- completed.

Investigating the effects of peripheral electrical stimulation in combination with low intensity

focused ultrasound for upper extremity motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease (PD)."- ongoing and recruiting.

Dr. Amitabh Bhattacharya, PhD

Movement disorders, neurophysiology, neurotechnology

Previous experience: PhD, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India

Current Projects:

1. Investigating the effect of muscle activation on theta burst transcranial ultrasound stimulation effects on the motor cortex To understand how the activation of the motor cortex with voluntary muscle contraction of the FDI affects the plasticity induced by tbTUS. 2. Modulating the Functional Connectivity of the Cerebellum in Musician’s Dystonia To study functional connectivity in hand affected Musician’s Dystonia subjects and to assess the effects of cerebellar cTBS in Musician’s Dystonia 3. Pedunculopontine nucleus transcranial ultrasound stimulation as a treatment of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease There is no effective treatment for FOG in PD. This study will be the first to assess the effects of PPN-TUS as a non-invasive neuromodulation tool to alleviate FOG and its effects on underlying pathophysiology.

Clinical Fellows

Dr. Marcus N. Callister

Movement Disorders, Clinical Neurophysiology, Functional Neurological Disorder

Previous experience: Neurology residency, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Current Projects:

Exploring novel instrumented measures of tremor, functional movement disorder (FMD) and other abnormal movements using surface EMG, accelerometers, and motion capture. Investigating effects of non-ablative low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFUS) on deep brain structures in essential tremor and other neurologic conditions

Graduate Students

Kiah Spencer

PhD Candidate Parkinson's Disease, Focused Ultrasound, Deep-brain stimulation, neuromodulation

Previous experience: HBSc, University of Toronto; MASc, University of Toronto Thanks

Current Projects: Investigating cognitive-motor integration in Parkinson's Disease. Currently investigating novel theta-burst transcranial ultrasound stimulation (tbTUS) in Parkinson's disease. In this project, I apply tbTUS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the globus pallidus internus to investigate cognitive and motor network interaction with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Huseyin Ozenc Taskin

PhD Student
Parkinson's disease, neuroimaging, white matter properties

Previous experience: MSc, Cardiff University

Current Projects:

Cerebellar inhibition is one of the most important neural mechanisms of motor learning and control and it is often affected in several movement disorders. By utilizing neuromodulation and neuroimaging techniques such as TMS and diffusion MRI, I am interested in studying natural and disease-related variabilities in this measure and how these variabilities relate to the structural connectivity of the cerebellum to other motor areas.