Eiman Azim, Ph.D.

Research

My lab explores the neural pathways that orchestrate skilled limb movements, using the genetic accessibility of mice to identify how neural circuits in the brain and spinal cord control these dexterous behaviors. Animals use their arms and hands to interact with the environment and with one another, but current approaches to investigate the neural basis of these behaviors in mice are generally limited to studying a small group of movements—like pushing a bar or reaching for an object. Using an array of cutting-edge techniques in neurobiology, molecular genetics, and computer vision, we will characterize a broad repertoire of natural movements—like climbing, eating, reaching, and grasping—to explore how neural circuits control diverse behaviors. Our lab will record from and selectively manipulate discrete classes of genetically accessible motor circuits and monitor how these pathways are involved in different aspects of motor control. By using our novel behavioral tools to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the neural basis of skilled motor output, these findings will deepen our understanding of how the nervous system controls movement, and could lead to novel approaches to restore function in motor circuits affected by injury or disease.