Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Anatomy and Neurobiology
Email Website Contact Info
My primary research interest is in the area of voluntary motor control. My lab investigates how various neural substrates control voluntary movement. Specifically, I am interested in cortical representation of arm movements. Our recent findings show that individual cells in primary motor cortex encode both the direction and speed of an impending movement. Combining the activity of a number (~100) of these motor cortical cells, a high-fidelity prediction of hand velocity is observed approximately a tenth of a second before it is performed by the limb. This information has been utilized by several research groups for both open-loop, real-time kinematic control of robotic arms as well as closed-loop control of a virtual reality environment.
Motor learning and neural plasticity is another research area in which I am very interested. All the motor cortical studies to date have used over-trained subjects during their recordings in order to average data over many recording sessions. However, with recent advances in multi, single-unit chronic recording methods, a naive subject can be recorded over a period of months to investigate what role various areas of cerebral cortex play in motor learning. How motor cortical activity changes over multiple motor learning sessions is invaluable data for designing motor cortical controlled neuroprostheses.
Future research projects will involve controlling complex 3D musculoskeletal models with cortical signals. This research will initially utilize real-time cortical recordings in non-human primates in a virtual reality environment. However, instead of controlling arm kinematics directly, the cortical signal would be applied through optimization routines which will determine individual muscle activation levels. These levels would then be fed through the musculoskeletal model of the arm with the resulting kinematics displayed by the virtual arm. When successful, the subjects arm could be deenervated and implanted with stimulators for experimental testing of FNS restoration of voluntary arm movement by a cortical implant.
Research Publications
Leuthardt EC, Schalk G, Wolpaw JR, Ojemann JG, and Moran DW. A brain-computer interface using electrocorticographic signals in humans. J Neural Eng 2004 1(2):63-71
Schwartz AB, Moran DW, Reina GA (2004 Jan 16). Differential representation of perception and action in the frontal cortex. Science. 303 (5656): 380-3. Full Article >
Reina GA, Moran DW, Schwartz AB (2001 Jun). On the relationship between joint angular velocity and motor cortical discharge during reaching. J Neurophysiol. 85 (6): 2576-89. Full Article >
Moran DW, Schwartz AB (1999 Nov). Motor cortical representation of speed and direction during reaching. J Neurophysiol. 82 (5): 2676-92. Full Article >
Moran DW and Schwartz AB. Motor cortical activity during drawing movements: Population representation during spiral tracing. J Neurophysiol 1999 82(5):2693-2704. Full Article >
Schwartz AB and Moran DW. Motor cortical activity during drawing movements: Population representation during lemniscate tracing. J Neurophysiol 1999 82(5):2705-2718. Full Article >
Contact Info
Daniel Moran, Ph.D.
Office Location: 300 Whitaker Hall - Main Campus
Office Phone: 314-935-8836
Lab Phone: 314-747-6291
Campus Box: 1097
Fax: 314-935-7448
dmoran@biomed.wustl.edu
http://biomed.wustl.edu/faculty/moran/
