Dr. Ingvars Birznieks

Biography

Ingvars Birznieks is a sensory neurophysiologist whose research primarily focuses on the mechanisms of sensory information encoding. He completed his PhD training at Umeå University in Sweden and further developed his expertise at the University of Melbourne, Australia, in leading laboratories in the field of somatosensory research. His postdoctoral studies at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in Sydney broadened his research competence to include proprioception and muscle pain mechanisms, and the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Prior to his current role as a Professor at UNSW, he served as a Senior Lecturer at the Western Sydney University, where he was immersed in the Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience research programs at the MARCS Institute. Currently, he leads the Tactile Research Group at Neuroscience Research Australia, focusing on a range of studies related to the function of tactile receptors and sensorimotor control of the human hand. His ultimate research goal is to utilize fundamental knowledge to create new evaluation methods for sensorimotor function in patient groups, and to collaborate with biomedical engineers to develop artificial sensors and control algorithms for prosthetics that mirror the functionality of the human hand.

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