Tamar Makin
tamar.makin@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a neuroscientist heading the Plasticity Lab. My main interest is in understanding the key drivers and limitations of reorganisation in the adult brain. My primary models for this work are studying individuals with a hand loss and individuals learning to use hand augmentation devices. For this purpose, I integrate methods from the fields of neuroscience, engineering, experimental psychology and rehabilitation. I hope my research will promote the prosperity of able and disabled users of motor assistance, substitution and augmentation technologies.

Dani Clode
dani.clode@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a designer collaborating with the Plasticity team at the MRC-CBU. My background is in prosthetic arm design and human extension exploration, and I’m interested in forming strong connections between design and neuroscience. My Masters degree project - the Third Thumb, is a 3D printed supernumerary robotic thumb, which is currently the main tool for a fMRI study on how the brain adapts to the usage of devices that augment the capabilities of the human hand.

Hristo Dimitrov Hristo.Dimitrov@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a postdoctoral researcher at MRC CBU at the University of Cambridge. My background is in control of active below-knee prostheses, where I was combining neurophysiology, musculoskeletal mechanics, and machine learning knowledge with skills in programming and engineering towards the achievement of this goal. Currently, I am focusing on understanding phantom limb pain's origins, mechanisms, and relationship with motor control as well as studying motor learning involving prosthetic and assistive devices.

Celia Foster
Celia.Foster@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Plasticity lab. My background is in cognitive neuroscience and my research explores how our brain extracts information about body shape and position from diverse sensory input and integrates this information to form a multisensory body representation. Currently, I am leading a project investigating how the brain develops a new sensorimotor body representation for an additional robotic body part.

Maria Molina Sanchez
Maria.Molina@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a PhD student in Cognitive Neuroscience at the MRC-CBU, with a neurology background. I am interested in how we consciously experiment our bodies. I am interested in how the body schema is modified by the incorporation of wearable technology. I am using the Third Thumb to study cortical reorganisation after the use of this device. I am also interested in how these technological devices can act as assistive technologies in neurological patients.

Lucy Dowdall
Lucy.Dowdall@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a Cognitive Neuroscience PhD student interested in sensorimotor learning and body augmentation. I have a keen interest in the role of somatosensory feedback on our motor control, and how this may then interact with our body representation. My work focuses on the use of body augmentation devices to explore the plasticity of our sensorimotor system. I am currently using the Third Thumb and a battery of neural and behavioural measures to investigate the brain’s ability to construct a sensory model of an augmentation device. Such work then has further applications for prosthetics and brain-machine interfaces.

Maggie Szymanska Maggie.Szymanska@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a PhD student at the Plasticity Lab, with a background in cognitive science and science communication. I am a member of the project BOLDkids (Brain Organisation in Limb Differences - http://boldkids.co.uk) where we investigate unique brain and behavioural strategies that children with limb differences use when tackling everyday motor tasks. I’m also supporting research exploring the neural correlates of phantom limb sensation and pain post amputation, and how new techniques, such as TMR (targeted muscle reinnervation) can help amputees experience less pain.

Ema Jugović
Ema.Jugovic@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a PhD student in Cognitive Neuroscience at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University. My background is in motor skill learning and I am interested in the ways the human brain implements control over body augmentative robotic devices, such as the Third Thumb. During my PhD, I will be investigating longitudinal changes in motor control of participants operating the Third Thumb using behavioural measures and neuroimaging. Additionally, my research will focus on implementing the Third thumb in the wider population.

Julien Russ
Julien.Russ@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a Photonics Engineering PhD student at the Plasticity Lab at the University of Cambridge. My background is mechatronics engineering, connected electronics and photonics systems. I am interested in the development of intelligent and autonomous systems, both hardware and software. Throughout my PhD, I will tackle the challenge of making motor augmentation systems autonomous through the means of EMG, computer vision, optical sensing systems to provide spatial awareness, as well as AI to predict the user’s intentions.

Allie Williams Allie.Williams@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a Masters student at MRC CBU at the University of Cambridge. I am a yoga teacher with a background in strategic communication, and I am interested in how the brain learns to engage specific muscles in a targeted way. My project focuses on exploring the specific benefits of yoga as they relate to developing motor control and coordination through understanding how best to use wearable technology to support motor learning and enhance practice benefits.

Laura-Ashleigh Bird
Laura.Bird@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I joined the Plasticity Lab in August 2019 as a Research Assistant working on the BOLDkids project (Brain Organisation in Limb Differences – www.boldkids.co.uk). Children born with a congenital limb difference develop remarkable motor skills, independently completing complex tasks like tying their shoelaces with skill and speed. I am fascinated by the unique strategies children with limb differences use when tackling everyday motor tasks. I want to understand how these unique motor skills develop and how the developing brain supports them.

Viktorija Pavalkyte Viktorija.Pavalkyte@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a Research Assistant at the Plasticity Lab. Since earning my Bachelor's in Medical (Neuro)Biology and a Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Donders Institute, Netherlands, I have been enthusiastic about the brain and its plasticity. At the Plasticity Lab, I am interested in understanding how the application of new technologies in daily life impacts our brains. My focus is on the changes in brain and muscle activity and kinematics after adapted behaviour, such as intensive Third Thumb use or the loss of a limb.

Evie Chapman
eva.chapman@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a research laboratory technician supporting projects relating to the Third Thumb and other design/technical aspects of ongoing projects. My background is in biomedical and mechanical engineering where my main interests are in biomechanics, design processes, and prosthetic use. Alongside the engineering support, I will be leading public and patient involvement initiatives to engage users in further developing the design of the Third Thumb.

Mabel Ziman
Mabel.Ziman@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

I am a research assistant supporting research on the effect of augmentation on motor learning. I work with the Third Thumb and related augmentation technologies, for example investigating how artificial sensory feedback affect motor integration, or how using assistive devices affects decision making. I am also interested in EMG both as a control signal and a biomarker for augmentation use, with potential applications for neuro-rehabilitation.