Plasticity Lab
We’re the Plasticity Lab at Cambridge University, led by Tamar Makin. We study the neural basis of hand function and dysfunction, exploring how technology can enhance movement functionality for able and disabled individuals of all ages: plasticity-lab.com
- Markerless tracking shouldn’t feel like a coding project! We released TrackStudio (arxiv.org/abs/2511.07624), a fully graphical, open-source toolkit for markerless human motion tracking. It enables use of current 2D/3D tools and video synchronisation without coding.
- Our lab has been lucky to know and work with Kirsty Mason for many years - she’s an incredible woman whose strength and openness have taught us so much about recovery and resilience 💛 If you can, please check out her GoFundMe and show some support! gofund.me/0283e864d
- Reposted by Plasticity LabA brain-imaging study of people with amputated arms has upended a long-standing belief go.nature.com/3Jp9NPG
- Super pleased to see this heroic effort finally in print!! Many thanks to Hunter, our amazing study participants, and everyone else who made this fantastic study come true.
- Now out in @natneuro.nature.com What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed? Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7 🧵1/18
- Reposted by Plasticity LabHappy to announce that my lab @ Yale Psychology (actcompthink.org) will be accepting PhD applications this year (for start in Fall '26)! Come for the fun experiments on human learning, memory, & skilled behavior, stay for the best 🍕 in the US. Please reach out if you have any questions!
- Awesome to see our own @daniclode.bsky.social featured as a highlight of the UN #AIforGood Summit! Check out the summary of her talk—plus other key discussions on how AI can restore agency, enhance accessibility, and foster deeper human connection: www.linkedin.com/posts/ai-for...
- Can you control an extra robotic finger just by flexing your leg muscles? In our new study, we put EMG-based muscle control to the test, comparing it to traditional toe force sensor control for operating the Third Thumb (designed by @daniclode.bsky.social). 1/12
- The Third Thumb is designed to extend and enhance the motor abilities of an already fully functional hand. It was initially designed to be proportionally controlled by movement of the wearer’s toes via force sensors. But what if we tapped into muscle signals directly instead? 2/12
- EMG-based control is closer to the neural source; muscle activity precedes motion. Our initial hypothesis: EMG should enable more intuitive and efficient learning. We compared both control modalities across multiple motor tasks using a counterbalanced within-participants design. 3/12
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View full threadIn summary: – Force control offers better early motor performance – EMG fosters learning generalization – Raw EMG contains hidden potential Read the full preprint at doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.16.658246. Thanks to all co-authors and participants! 12/12
- Reposted by Plasticity LabGreat start to #IMRF2025 with Symposium 2 all about body representation and some amazing talks! Really enjoyed hearing about how sounds can affect it, e.g. with the auditory pinocchio illusion 🔊, something quite different than what I work on but so fun!
- Exciting day at the fascinating UN #AIforGood summit! @daniclode.bsky.social presented on designing for augmentation and the Third Thumb, Tamar then presented our research looking at the neural embodiment of robotic limbs! Smashing it 🦾
- Thrilled to share our most recent work led by our brilliant PhD student @mariamolinasan.bsky.social, exploring generalisation of motor learning with a robotic limb, featuring The Third Thumb 🦾
- Can humans use artificial limbs for body augmentation as flexibly as their own hands? 🚨 Our new interdisciplinary study put this question to the test with the Third Thumb (@daniclode.bsky.social), a robotic extra digit you control with your toes! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵1/10
- Our PhD students @maggieszymanska.bsky.social and Julien Russ ready to present their posters today at #BRNet2025! Find them in the poster room at 2pm, talking about phantom limb pain and using EMG to control the Third Thumb 🧠
- Having a great time in Utrecht at #BRNet2025! Today, our very talented postdoc @celiafoster.bsky.social and amazing PhD student Ema Jugovic presented their posters. Really great work showcasing our new Third Thumb studies 🧠
- Reposted by Plasticity LabGreat talk by Matej Hoffman starting off Day 2 of #BRNet2025. Really exciting to see our BOLDkids research on congenital limb difference mentioned as well! Also - what an amazing venue 😊
- Our lab had a fantastic time this week presenting our current work at @uksensorimotor25.bsky.social in Oxford 🧠
- Reposted by Plasticity Lab🧠New postdoc position - come work with us in France! 🥐👩🔬 Two-Year Postdoc Position on the Role of Temporal Integration in Visual Attention Using Human Intracerebral Recordings | EURAXESS euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/351721 📆Starting Date: October 2025 ⏱️Application deadline: 31 Aug 2025
- Check-out our latest research! 🧠 @lucydowdall.bsky.social's PhD work looking at the sensory representation of an artificial limb is now up on bioRxiv! doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.16.658246 🦾 see her thread below highlighting some of our key findings
- Excited to share our new interdisciplinary work exploring the sensory representation of an artificial body part, combing datasets and methodologies to explore sensorimotor integration of the Third Thumb, a 2 DoF hand augmentation device (@daniclode.bsky.social) doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.16.658246
- Great video by @wired.com showcasing the Third Thumb! 👍👍👍We're super grateful to be able to work with the amazing Dani Clode and investigate how our brains 🧠 accomodate motor control of an extra robotic finger! The segment on the Third Thumb starts at 6:02 - you can watch here: rb.gy/t8gdhs
- Hristo’s presenting his poster today and tomorrow at #NCMPan25! Come and check out his work on information content in sensorimotor cortex in controls and people with amputations at 2-F-72 @ncmsociety.bsky.social
- Come check out Celia’s poster today and tomorrow at #NCMPan25 and learn about touch localisation abilities with the Third Thumb! 1-F-73 @ncmsociety.bsky.social @celiafoster.bsky.social
- Applications close tomorrow for our summer internship position! plasticity-lab.com/internship
- Applications are open for the Plasticity Lab summer internship at the University of Cambridge @mrccbu.bsky.social 🦾 Work with an interdisciplinary team on motor augmentation and wearable tech, exploring enhancement of movement capabilities 🧠 Apply by April 15th: plasticity-lab.com/internship
- Applications are open for the Plasticity Lab summer internship at the University of Cambridge @mrccbu.bsky.social 🦾 Work with an interdisciplinary team on motor augmentation and wearable tech, exploring enhancement of movement capabilities 🧠 Apply by April 15th: plasticity-lab.com/internship
- Reposted by Plasticity LabWant to hear more about how feedback can guide learning in RNNs for motor adaptation. Here is our new paper in Nat. Com. with Barbara Feulner and @juangallego.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- We truly believe neurotechnology developments should be shaped by the end-users, not just the researchers! But how can we ensure ground-breaking developments are guided by the people whose lives they will impact the most? Read more here: rb.gy/7zjf6e
- Our website contains even more information and curated resources to help support researchers in the aim of taking a more user-centered approach towards neurotechnology, in addition to details for how to get involved in this initiative www.inclusive-neurotech.co.uk
- Neurotech is rapidly evolving, but user-centred technologies can only succeed if their development actively involves the end user. We’ve published a basic roadmap for supporting inclusive design testing - highlighting key strategies, stakeholders, representation, and measurable outcomes rb.gy/ng1jus
- Neurotech is rapidly evolving, but user-centred technologies can only succeed if their development actively involves the end user. We’ve published a basic roadmap for supporting inclusive design testing - highlighting key strategies, stakeholders, representation, and measurable outcomes rb.gy/ng1jus
- 1 week left to apply for our research assistant job! If you're interested in sensorimotor research and are pre-PhD, may be a perfect fit! More details at www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49393 🧠
- Now you’ve met the lab, come work with us! We’re hiring a Research Assistant to join the Plasticity lab 🦾 in early 2025 at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge. Find out more information here: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49393/. Closing date 8th of January! 🧠
- Very proud to share a new review (more like a long perspective), just out in Science Advances: rebrand.ly/mdbi8q8. Ilana Nisky and Tamar @cambridgeuni.bsky.social joined heads (brains) to reimagine how to make the most out of artificial haptic interfaces. A thread (1/8)
- Artificial haptic technologies have the potential to empower users with new ways to perceive and engage with their surroundings. Yet, they are also slow to reach their target users and cross the chasm from the lab to real life. Why is that? We have some thoughts...
- To begin with, the strive for biomimicry––attempting to mimic the peripheral input so that the CNS integrates the artificial input to the natural system––requires haptic feedback systems to capture relevant environmental data, via sensors and filters. But what is ‘relevant’?
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View full threadRead our review for some ideas! Ultimately, physiological compatibility (biomimicry) is too far from current technological reality. Also, it limits design and functionality to what is biologically familiar. Instead, we advocate for behavioural and cognitive compatibility.
- Reposted by Plasticity Labreally great thread by Blake. Each neuron in an artificial neural network (ANN) isn't supposed to accurately model a neuron in the brain. Instead, ANNs are good models of computation (through dynamics/manifolds) based on the collective activity of simpler "functions" (i.e., the neurons)
- Love this reading list, always has something interesting to read!
- The reading list features the papers that superlab.ca has been looking at over the past week. Mostly new things and some oldies here and there.
- Now you’ve met the lab, come work with us! We’re hiring a Research Assistant to join the Plasticity lab 🦾 in early 2025 at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge. Find out more information here: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49393/. Closing date 8th of January! 🧠
- Reposted by Plasticity LabHad a blast working on this amazing project and the pre-print is now out 🎉! Interested in sensory remapping? We tested congenital limb difference children and adults to investigate how their brains differ and what role compensatory behaviour in childhood has on remapping 🧠 Read more in the thread!
- We’re thrilled to share our new research article, "Shaping the developing homunculus: the roles of deprivation and compensatory behaviour in sensory remapping on bioRxiv: rebrand.ly/qbz6nal with @dorothycowie.bsky.social
