CJ Heckman, PhD

Dr. Heckman's lab has worked on the mechanisms of spinal motor output for over 25 years. Motoneurons provide the output to muscle for all movements and our systematic studies of these cells provide a fundamental underpinning for understanding motor function and its rehabilitation. The techniques in our lab span the cellular, circuit and system levels in animal preparations and the resulting data has allowed us to achieve remarkably deep insights in motor function in human subjects. Our development of biologically realistic computer simulations of motoneurons synthesizes this multi-level information and provides both predictions to guide experiments in humans and a deeper understanding of cellular mechanisms of human function, with an emphasis on developing new therapies for spinal injury, ALS and cerebral stroke.