Matthew Kerr, a Graduate Student in the lab of Dr. Sridevi Sarma, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Computational Medicine, has been awarded the Johns Hopkins University’s 2012-2013 ARCS Foundation Scholarship. The graduate award of $15,000 may be used for education-related expenses such as tuition, books, supplies, travel to conferences, research activities as well as other needs. Matthew’s current research focuses on how the human motor system influences limb control. The military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the insurgents’ use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), have led to a dramatic increase in the number of otherwise healthy, adaptable individuals missing limbs. Prosthetic limbs that could respond to an individuals thoughts as naturally as their own body would greatly increase their quality of life. The ARCS funding will support him as he investigates how the motor system responds to unexpected perturbations in movement. By understanding and modeling how different parts of the brain influence upper-limb motor control, new insights will be gained that may greatly improve the next generation of brain-controled prosthetics.

Congratulations on your scholarship Matthew, and good luck with your research!