Amanda Therrien

Amanda Therrien is a Research Fellow at the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Movement Studies, where she investigates motor learning mechanisms in cerebellar ataxia with a focus on leveraging reinforcement learning for rehabilitation strategies.

Her educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa (2004)
• PhD in Kinesiology with specialization in sensorimotor neuroscience from McMaster University (2013)

Dr. Therrien's research centers on cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative condition causing progressive cerebellar atrophy that impairs coordination, balance, and gait. While cerebellar damage disrupts error-based motor learning (adaptation), her work examines whether reinforcement learning mechanisms remain intact and can be harnessed to improve movement rehabilitation. This approach could bypass damaged neural pathways to develop novel therapeutic interventions for ataxia patients.

The Center for Movement Studies employs multidisciplinary methods including behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, and computational modeling to study locomotor plasticity and movement disorders. Dr. Therrien collaborates with lab members including Amy Bastian (Principal Investigator), Alex Vasquez, and Amanda Edwards on projects such as 'Mechanisms and Rehabilitation of Cerebellar Ataxia' and 'Locomotor Plasticity in Health and Disease'.