Veterans Health Foundation

Mike Urbin, PhD


Dr. Urbin is a motor systems neuroscientist who joined VAPHS in November of 2018 to study corticospinal physiology in humans with neurological injuries, such as stroke and spinal cord injury. He uses noninvasive stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging to probe neurological mechanisms altered by injury. He also examines the effects of neuromodulation on physiology, motor control and learning. Dr. Urbin’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

What are the 3 most important questions that define your research program?
1. Which neurological mechanisms mediating voluntary movement are altered by stroke and spinal cord injury?
2. Can targeted neuromodulation reduce movement impairment in humans with stroke or spinal cord injury?
3. How can neuromodulation be used in rehabilitation medicine to reduce disability?
What are five key words that best describe your areas of interest?
1. Stroke
2. Spinal Cord Injury
3. Motor Control & Learning
4. Neurophysiology
5. Neuromodulation

What are up to 5 technologies, models, methods, analytical approaches or other forms of expertise that characterize your research program?
1. Noninvasive stimulation
2. Electromyography
3. Tractography via magnetic resonance imaging
4. Eyetracking
5. Motor output simulations and standardized clinical tests