Dr. Michael Luera at Tarleton State was recently awarded an R34 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to advance understanding of how the human nervous system controls movement at the level of individual motor units, the smallest functional units responsible for generating muscle force.
The project will utilize a novel technology known as Myomatrix electrodes, an innovative flexible intramuscular electrode array developed through the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Unlike traditional methods that measure overall muscle activity, this technology enables researchers to record the activity of individual motor neurons during both static and dynamic human movement with unprecedented precision.
Importantly, this award supports the first NIH-funded human subjects trial in the United States using Myomatrix electrodes. This landmark study represents a major milestone in translating next-generation neural interface technology from preclinical research into human neuroscience and establishes Tarleton State University as a pioneering institution in this emerging field. The project will evaluate the safety and feasibility of Myomatrix electrodes in human participants and develop new methods to quantify motor unit recruitment and coordination during movement. These findings have the potential to transform our understanding of normal neuromuscular function and establish new approaches for studying movement disorders, neurological disease, aging, rehabilitation and human performance.
Beyond the scientific discoveries, this award significantly expands neuroscience research opportunities at Tarleton State by providing hands-on training for undergraduate and graduate students in advanced electrophysiological techniques, data science, biomedical instrumentation and translational neuroscience. The project aligns with Tarleton State’s growing neuroscience program and strengthens the university’s role as an emerging contributor to cutting-edge NIH-funded research.
As one of the first institutions in the nation to conduct human studies using this groundbreaking technology, Tarleton State is helping establish the foundational methodologies that will guide future clinical and translational applications of high-resolution motor unit recording. The project also creates new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across neuroscience, rehabilitation sciences, biomedical engineering and human performance research, while positioning Tarleton State as a national leader in this rapidly evolving field.
Dr. Michael Luera recently presented a research pitch to collaborators at the Center for Advanced Motor Bioengineering and Research (CAMBER) at Emory University.