Research

Current research

Humans and animals alike typically perform better at a given task when the potential rewards are higher. How does the brain transform changing stakes into better movements, and when the stakes get too high, why does performance fall apart?

My PhD thesis work with the Chase Lab at Carnegie Mellon University focuses on how the motor cortex, a center of voluntary movements in the primate brain, translates changes in reward to altered movements.

Revealing the interplay of reward and movements in the motor cortex will not only further develop our understanding of cortical motor control, but will have implications in the design of robust clinical neuroprostheses of the future.

Current research manuscripts ^ and * designates equivalent contributions

A. Smoulder*, N. Pavlovsky*, P. Marino*, A. Degenhart, N. McClain, A. Batista^, S. Chase^, “Monkeys exhibit a paradoxical decrease in performance in high stakes scenarios.” PNAS. Aug. 2021.
- Subject of a PNAS commentary and an article in Wired magazine
A. Smoulder, P. Marino, E. Oby, S. Snyder, H. Miyata, N. Pavlovsky, W. Bishop, B. Yu, S. Chase*, A. Batista*, "A neural basis of choking under pressure." Neuron. Aug. 2024
- Subject of interview used for article in Washington Post
P. Marino, L. Bahureksa, C.F. Fisac, E. Oby, A. Smoulder, A. Motiwala, A. Degenhart, E. Grigsby, W. Joiner, S. Chase*, B. Yu*, A. Batista*, "A posture subspace in primary motor cortex." biorxiv. Aug. 2024

Select current research presentations (see CV for all) ^ designates presenter

As presenting author

A. Smoulder^, P. Marino, E. Oby, S. Snyder, S. Chase*, A. Batista*, "Reward improves movement vigor through multiple motor cortical mechanisms." Neurobiology of Cognition GRC 2024 (Poster)
A. Smoulder^, P. Marino, N. Pavlovsky, E. Oby, S. Snyder, W. Bishop, B. Yu, S. Chase*, A. Batista*
- "A motor cortex basis of choking under pressure." Neural Control of Movement Annual Meeting, Apr. 2023 (Podium and Poster); organized "Motivated movement" panel
- “Exceptionally large rewards lead to a collapse in neural information about upcoming movements.” COSYNE 2022 (Poster, Abstract, Multimedia Brief)
A. Smoulder^, N. Pavlovsky, P. Marino, A. Degenhart, N. McClain, A. Batista*, S. Chase*, “Monkeys exhibit a paradoxical decrement in performance in high stakes scenarios - they ‘choke under pressure’.” Advances in Motor Learning and Motor Control, Oct. 2020 (Virtual Talk)

As affiliated author

S. Borgognon^, A. Smoulder, H. Miyata, J. Wen, S. Chase*, A. Batista*, "Evidence for distinct internal states influencing the primate motor cortex." Abstract accepted for presentation at Society for Neuroscience 2024 (Poster)
M. McDonnell^, A. Chandrasekaran, C. Ki, A. Smoulder, B. Yu,* A. Batista*, M. Smith*, S. Chase*, "Distinct sensory and motor components of choking under pressure." Neurobiology of Cognition GRC 2024 (Podium and Poster)
P. Marino^, L. Bahureksa, C. Fisac, E. Oby^, A. Smoulder, A. Motiwala, E. Grigsby, A. Degenhart, W. Joiner, S. Chase*, B. Yu*, A. Batista*, "A posture subspace in primary motor cortex." COSYNE 2024 (Poster)
A. Chandrasekaran^, M. McDonnell, C. Ki, A. Smoulder, B. Yu,* A. Batista*, M. Smith*, S. Chase*, "Reward and perceptual difficulty drive distinct changes in behavior and motor cortical activity." COSYNE 2024 (Poster)

Manuscripts in progress

"Reward influences movement vigor through multiple motor cortical mechanisms"
"Single manifold identification and latent estimation for combining neural recordings"
"Evidence for distinct internal states influencing the primate motor cortex"

Previous research

(2017-18) During my undergraduate education, I worked with Dr. Neeraj Gandhi to study communication between layers of the superior colliculus, a sensorimotor hub for eye movements. I also tested different signal de-referencing strategies' effects on neural information flow metrics.

(Summer 2016) I spent the summer doing research at the National University of Singapore under Dr. Shih-Cheng Yen, working on cheap methods of data transmission for wireless muscle stimulation prototypes.

(2015-16) I worked in the Badylak Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. I ran experiments to evaluate the mechanical properties of extracellular matrix hydrogels (ECMH), a biomaterial that can promote tissue repair, and to determine how ECMH could be used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases.

Previous research publications

A. Smoulder, U.K. Jagadisan, A.H. Dallal, N.J. Gandhi, “Performance evaluation of dereferencing methods for estimating information flow in laminar connectivity models.” Int IEEE EMBS Conf Neural Eng. Mar. 2019.
L.J. White, T.J. Keane, A. Smoulder, L. Zhang, A.A. Castleton, J.E. Reing, N.J. Turner, C.L. Dearth, S.F. Badylak, "The impact of sterilization upon extracellular matrix hydrogel structure and function." J. Immunol. Regen. Med. Sep. 2018.
T.J. Keane, J. Dziki, E. Sobieski, A. Smoulder, A. Castleton, N. Turner, L.J. White, S.F. Badylak. “Restoring mucosal barrier function and modifying macrophage phenotype with an extracellular matrix hydrogel: Potential therapy for ulcerative colitis.” J. Crohn’s Colitis. Mar. 2017.

Previous research presentations

A. Smoulder, U.K. Jagadisan, A.H. Dallal, N.J. Gandhi, “Performance evaluation of dereferencing methods for estimating information flow in laminar connectivity models.” Int IEEE EMBS Conf Neural Eng 2019. Mar. 2019. (Poster)
A. Smoulder, U.K. Jagadisan, N.J. Gandhi, “Mapping functional connectivity between layers of the superior colliculus.” Society for Neuroscience. Nov. 2018 (Poster)
A. Smoulder, S. Nag, S.C. Yen, “Wireless control of muscle stimulation for peripheral neuroprosthesis.” Annual Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting. Oct. 2016. (Poster)
- Also presented at Pitt SCIENCE 2016, Pitt BMES Undergraduate Lab Fair 2016, Pitt BioE Day 2017
A. Smoulder, A. Castleton, T.J. Keane, L.J. White, L. Zhang, S.F. Badylak, “The effects of terminal sterilization on the mechanical and biologic properties of extracellular matrix hydrogels.” Annual Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting. Oct. 2015. (Podium)