Neural Control of Movement Satellite Meeting

Join us April 17th for the NCM Satellite Meeting “Computations and neural code underlying the control of posture”. The Satellite meeting will be held at the Victoria Conference Centre in advance of the annual Society for the Neural Control of Movement Meeting.

Computations and neural code underlying the control of posture

The satellite is organized by Jean-Sébastien Blouin and Mark Carpenter, University of British Columbia

Whether it is for maintaining the position of a limb, whole-body stability or the foundation to generate goal-directed movements, postural control is central to our ability to move. Postural control, however, is often studied in silos, with researchers focusing on arm movements rarely interacting with researchers characterizing the control of upright balance (and vice-versa). A primary aim of this satellite meeting is to highlight emerging postural control research related to single joint, multi-joint and whole-body movements as well as the interactions between movement and postures. We invite all researchers with expertise in distinct subfields of postural control addressing their research questions from a modeling and/or physiological perspective, with an objective to foster discussions between attendees and potentially identify commonalities or emerging questions that may lead to a unified understanding of postural control across contexts (including arm, neck and whole-body postural control). We intend to create a forum to challenge established ideas and promote a broad vision of postural control and its understanding within the general field of sensorimotor control of movement. To do so, the satellite meeting will provide a venue for diverse trainees, junior and senior scientists to present their recent work, and have opportunities to interact, share ideas and provide/receive feedback and discuss emerging models of postural control.

 

List of Confirmed Invited Speakers:
Dr. Alaa Ahmed
Dr. Leah Bent
Dr. Tyler Cluff
Dr. Kathleen Cullen
Dr. Friedl de Groote
Dr. Patrick Forbes
Dr. Ryan Peters
Dr. Fabrice Sarlegna
Dr. Lena Ting
Dr. Albert Vette

07:30 – 08:00

Registration


08:00 – 08:15

Welcome/Introduction from Mark Carpenter and Jean-Sébastien Blouin


08:15 – 10:00

Session 1

Cognitive factors influencing the control of reaching and posture

Alaa Ahmed, University of Colorado Boulder

 

Influence of somatosensory signals on feedforward and feedback control of arm movement and posture: a human deafferentation approach

Fabrice Sarlegna, Aix-Marseille University

 

Cortical engagement in sensorimotor control of balance index cognitive and motor abilities

Lena Ting, Emory University & Georgia Tech

 

Additional contributed presentations to be confirmed


10:00 – 10:15

Coffee break


10:15 – 12:00

Session 2

Predictive vestibular processing: An essential computation for postural control

Kathleen Cullen, Johns Hopkins University

 

Trunk control in posture and upper limb function: tools, fundamental insights, and clinical translation

Kei Masani, University of Toronto & Albert Vette, University of Alberta

 

Additional contributed presentations to be confirmed


12:00 – 12:45

Lunch


12:45 – 14:30

Session 3

Unraveling the vestibular contribution to the perception and control of postural self-motion

Patrick Forbes, Erasmus University Medical Centre

 

Tapping into our skin: can we customize balance control?

Leah Bent, University of Guelph

 

Flexible control of the upper limb to accommodate different tasks and environments

Tyler Cluff, University of Calgary

 

Additional contributed presentations to be confirmed


14:30 – 14:45

Coffee break


14:45 – 16:30

Session 4

Noisy tendon stimulation for probing human muscle spindles and stretch reflexes

Ryan Peters, University of Calgary

 

Insights in standing and walking balance control gained from stochastic optimal control simulations

Friedl de Groote, KU Leuven

 

Additional contributed presentations to be confirmed


16:30 – 17:00

Panel Discussion


17:00 – 18:30

Satellite Poster and Networking Session