PhD students (from left) Peter Jo, Jared Gollie, and Amanda Rounds, along with Department Chair Andrew Guccione, shared the department’s current research on the non-invasive measurement of brain and muscle function.
A group of PhD students from the Department of Rehabilitation Science presented research to members of the Virginia House of Delegates Appropriations and Finance committees during a recent visit to the Fairfax Campus.
The delegates viewed presentations from and talked with various campus departments and groups around campus, including the Department of Rehabilitation Science. PhD students Peter Jo, Jared Gollie, and Amanda Rounds, along with Department Chair Andrew Guccione, shared the department’s current research on the non-invasive measurement of brain and muscle function.
The research, which is a major focus of rehabilitation science associate professor Michelle Harris-Love, explores how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used to learn more about how the brain reorganizes after someone experience a stroke and during the patient’s rehabilitation process.
By using TMS, a safe, non-invasive technique that stimulates the human brain, and understanding how the brain reorganizes, researchers can better support recovery efforts to enhance the effects of rehabilitation, which can improve recovery and the functional independence of stroke survivors.
“The members of the House of Delegates that students spoke with were impressed that our department is working on the cutting-edge of research and rehabilitation science,” said Guccione. “The students were able to explain how this research impacts patients and impress upon the delegates why our work is important and how it cam improve patient care.”
The members of the House of Delegates were on campus to learn first-hand about Mason’s need to rebuild Robinson Hall, repair the university’s utility distribution system, and repair and upgrade the university’s telecommunications infrastructure. Read more about the delegates’ visit.