Research topic
Research Description
My research interests are in discovering brain circuits that underlie sensorimotor integration and motor functions. I'm also involved in cultivating artificial intelligence and computer vision to automate exploratory mining of our rich neural and video datasets. My current focus is to map chronic social isolation-induced brain activation with machine learning-based phenotyping of behavioral deficits to pilot translational assessment of psychomotor disturbance.
Why did you decide to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC? Did you consider other opportunities?
I’ve been a MD-PhD mainly engaged in the research and treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other functional brain disorders, such as dystonia, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy, and neuropathic pain, using deep brain stimulation (DBS) or rTMS. When I came to Prof. Murphy’s lab, I was deeply attracted by the cutting-edge neurophysiological techniques, as it can probe the complex information flow in the brain during sensorimotor processing. Under the supervision of Prof. Murphy, I established new procedures for mapping connections between discrete cortical regions and sub-cortical brain structures.
What advice do you have for new postdoctoral fellows?
Where there is a will there is a way.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your postdoctoral fellowship?
The proposed project fits perfectly with my career perspectives as it allows me to use my skills while learning from one of the leading research groups. The level of research I hope to achieve and the training I will receive during my fellowship will function as a solid groundwork for my long-term goals as an independent academic investigator.
What does receiving this award mean for your career?
This reward will help me fulfill my goal of achieving gradual independence in funding research for my own scientific questions. The techniques and data that I will generate from studying functional connectivity and behavioral abnormalities could provide invaluable insights in understanding brain functions and modulation that I intend to help translate from bench to bedside throughout my professional career.