Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi
Encyclopedia
Ferdinando Mussa-Ivaldi is an Italian born professor at Northwestern University
. He is known for his contributions to the fields of motor control
, motor learning
and computational neuroscience
.
) in Physics
from the University of Torino (1978) and
a PhD in biomedical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano (1987). He was a postdoctoral fellow and principal research scientist in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the MIT.
He is now Professor of Physiology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University
. He is the founder and director of the Robotics Laboratory in the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
.
work has been influential for the study of arm biomechanics
and, in particular, motor learning
in human subjects. He has
also studied motor primitives in the frog's spinal cord
that are a central issue in many theories of motor control.
Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi's theoretical work has focused on the analysis of redundant kinematics
in human subjects. He has asked
how a variety of movement patterns and control strategies can be constructed from the superposition of a set of basis fields. Of particular theoretical importance is his discovery of how pseudoinverses
of
Jacobians can be computed so that integrability
is always a given. In some more recent work, Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi has applied computational ideas to the design of brain machine interfaces
. He and his collaborators have developed the first neurorobotic
system in which a neural preparation in-vitro - the brainstem of a Lamprey
- controls the behavior of a mobile-robot through a closed-loop interaction. Recent research in the lab of Dr. Mussa-Ivaldi addresses clinical questions where computational insights can be used to better the lives of persons with disabilities.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He is known for his contributions to the fields of motor control
Motor control
Motor control are information processing related activities carried out by the central nervous system that organize the musculoskeletal system to create coordinated movements and skilled actions...
, motor learning
Motor learning
Motor learning is a “relatively permanent” change, resulting from practice or a novel experience, in the capability for responding...
and computational neuroscience
Computational neuroscience
Computational neuroscience is the study of brain function in terms of the information processing properties of the structures that make up the nervous system...
.
Biography
Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi obtained a degree (LaureaLaurea
In Italy, the laurea is the main post-secondary academic degree.-Reforms due to the Bologna process:Spurred by the Bologna process, a major reform was instituted in 1999 to introduce easier university degrees comparable to the bachelors...
) in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the University of Torino (1978) and
a PhD in biomedical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano (1987). He was a postdoctoral fellow and principal research scientist in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the MIT.
He is now Professor of Physiology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He is the founder and director of the Robotics Laboratory in the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago , ranked the "#1 Rehabilitation in America" by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991 is a rehabilitation hospital located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It also operates a network of alliance hospitals and outpatient and day rehabilitation...
.
Scientific Contributions
Mussa-Ivaldi’s research combines experimental methods with the application of computational principles. His experimentalwork has been influential for the study of arm biomechanics
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...
and, in particular, motor learning
Motor learning
Motor learning is a “relatively permanent” change, resulting from practice or a novel experience, in the capability for responding...
in human subjects. He has
also studied motor primitives in the frog's spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
that are a central issue in many theories of motor control.
Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi's theoretical work has focused on the analysis of redundant kinematics
Kinematics
Kinematics is the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of bodies and systems without consideration of the forces that cause the motion....
in human subjects. He has asked
how a variety of movement patterns and control strategies can be constructed from the superposition of a set of basis fields. Of particular theoretical importance is his discovery of how pseudoinverses
Generalized inverse
In mathematics, a generalized inverse or pseudoinverse of a matrix A is a matrix that has some properties of the inverse matrix of A but not necessarily all of them...
of
Jacobians can be computed so that integrability
Integrable system
In mathematics and physics, there are various distinct notions that are referred to under the name of integrable systems.In the general theory of differential systems, there is Frobenius integrability, which refers to overdetermined systems. In the classical theory of Hamiltonian dynamical...
is always a given. In some more recent work, Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi has applied computational ideas to the design of brain machine interfaces
Brain-computer interface
A brain–computer interface , sometimes called a direct neural interface or a brain–machine interface , is a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device...
. He and his collaborators have developed the first neurorobotic
Neurorobotics
Neurorobotics, a combined study of neuroscience, robotics, and artificial intelligence, is the science and technology of embodied autonomous neural systems. Neural systems include brain-inspired algorithms , computational models of biological neural networks Neurorobotics, a combined study of...
system in which a neural preparation in-vitro - the brainstem of a Lamprey
Lamprey
Lampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
- controls the behavior of a mobile-robot through a closed-loop interaction. Recent research in the lab of Dr. Mussa-Ivaldi addresses clinical questions where computational insights can be used to better the lives of persons with disabilities.