Dr. Amy Bastian

Biography

Amy Bastian is a Professor in the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind human movement disorders, particularly those that arise from neurological damage. She investigates various types of movement disorders and seeks to explore treatments that improve movement for individuals affected by these conditions. Her work has primarily centered on understanding how damage to the cerebellum can lead to movement incoordination, a condition known as ataxia. Additionally, she studies locomotor disorders in stroke patients and visuomotor control learning in children with autism. Bastian's laboratory collaborates with neurologists, physical therapists, biomedical engineers, and neuroscientists, employing advanced techniques to quantify movement through 3-dimensional tracking and muscle activity recordings. Her innovative use of novel devices such as the split belt treadmill and KinArm Robot facilitates precise measurements of walking, reaching, and balance, allowing her to detect subtle changes in movement performance over the course of treatment.

Research Interests