HUNTER SCHONE

My research focuses on studying the capacity for neural adaptation to support controlling next-generation assistive technologies.

I'm currently a postdoctoral research associate supervised by Jennifer Collinger within the Rehab Neural Engineering Labs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Previous labs:

Chris Baker, National Institutes of Health

Tamar Makin, University of Cambridge

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schonehunter [at] gmail [dot] com
Currently living in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

PROJECTS

Should bionic limb control mimic the human body? In this study, we trained 60 users to operate a muscle-controlled supernumerary robotic arm over a week with multiple pre-post motor and neural (fMRI) measures. Control strategies either mimicked natural limb control or were entirely arbitrary.

[data + code] [doi] [pdf] [interview]

NATURAL AND UNNATURAL BIOINIC LIMB CONTROL STRATEGIES

This study is the first to ever investigate how the cortical hand representation changes both before and after amputation. We are working with multiple NHS sites in the UK to identify patients planning to undergo a hand amputation. We are scanning patients longitudinally: pre- and post-amputation.

Presented at SfN 2022 and NCM 2023. Preprint available on bioRxiv [doi].

DOES LIMB AMPUTATION CHANGE THE NEURAL BODY REPRESENTATION?

NEURAL HAND AND TOOL REPRESENTATIONS IN EXPERT TOOL USERS

In this fMRI study, we scanned a group of expert tool users (London Litterpickers) and a group of novices to see whether longterm experience using a tool like a hand might lead to the brain adapting to represent it more like a biological hand, a concept known as technological embodiment.

[data + stimuli] [doi] [pdf] [interview]

PHANTOM LIMB PAIN

The majority of amputees experience phantom limb pain (PLP) yet we still know very little about the condition. The goal of this review is to help generate consensus in the field on how best to research PLP, from phenomenology to treatment. Written with some of the leading researchers in the field.

[doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

COGNITION OF LIMBLESS INDIVIDUALS

Are individuals born without hands impaired in their ability to judge whether a hand image is a left or right hand? In this study, we test the role of motor hand experience when making visual bodily judgements.

[data + stimuli] [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

Screen Shot 2022-11-18 at 4.46.50 PM (2).png

PROSTHETIC LIMB MOTOR CONTROL

Brain plasticity research teaches us that the earlier we train to acquire new skills (or use a new technology) the better we benefit from this practice as adults. We studied individuals born without a hand and individuals who lost a hand in life to better understand the role early hand experience plays in shaping prosthetic limb motor control in adulthood.

[data] [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Kunigk, N.G., Schone, H.R., Gontier, C., Hockeimer, W., Tortolani, A.F., Hatsopoulos, H.G., Downey, J.E., Chase, S.M., Boninger, M.I., Dekleva, B.D., Collinger, J.L. (2024). Motor somatotopy impacts imagery strategy success in human intracortical brain-computer interfaces. medRxiv, doi: 10.1101/2024.04.26.24306239 [doi] [pdf]

Ikegaya, N., Mallela, A.N., Warnke, P.C., Kunigk, N.G., Liu, F., Schone, H.R., Verbaarschot, C., Hatsopoulos, H.G., Downey, J.E., Boninger, M.I., Gaunt, R.A., Collinger, J.L., Gonzalez-Martinez, J. (2024). A novel robot-assisted method for implanting intracortical sensorimotor devices for brain computer interface studies: principles, surgical techniques, and challenges. Journal of Neurosurgery (in-press)

Downey, J.E., Schone, H.R., Foldes, S.T., Greenspon, C., Liu, F., Verbaarschot, C., Biro, D., Satzer, D., Moon, C., Coffman, B., Youssofzadeh, Y., Fields, D., Hobbs, T.G., Okorokova, E., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Warnke, P.C., Gonzalez-Martinez, J., Hatsopoulos, H.G., Bensmaia, S.J., Boninger, M.I., Gaunt, R.A., Collinger, J.L. (2024). A roadmap for implanting microelectrode arrays to evoke tactile sensations through intracortical microstimulation. medRxiv, doi: 10.1101/2024.04.26.24306239 [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

Schone, H.R., Udeozor, M, Moninghoff, M., Rispoli, B., Vandersea, J., Lock, B., Hargrove, L., Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I (2024). Biomimetic versus arbitrary motor control strategies on bonic hand skill learning. Nature Human Behaviour, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01811-6. [data + code] [doi] [pdf] [twittter-thread] [interview]

Schone, H.R., Maimon Mor, R.O., Kollamkulam, M., Szymanska, M.A., Gerrand, C., Woolard, A., Kang, N., Baker, C.I., and Makin, T.R. (2023). Stable cortical body maps before and after arm amputation. bioRxiv, doi: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571314

Schone, H.R., Baker, C.I, Katz, J., Nikolajsen, L., Limakatso, K., Flor, H. and Makin, T.R. (2022). Making sense of phantom limb pain. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93:833-843. [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

Schone, H.R.,* Maimon-Mor, R.O.,* Baker, C.I., and Makin, T.R. (2021). Expert tool users show increased differentiation between visual representations of hands and tools. Journal of Neuroscience, 41 (13) 2980-2989. [data + stimuli] [doi] [pdf] [interview] [twitter-thread]

Maimon-Mor, R.O., Schone, H.R., Henderson-Slater, D., Faisal, A. and Makin, T.R. (2021). Early life experience sets hard limits on motor learning as evidenced from artificial arm use, eLife, 10: e66320. [data] [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

Maimon-Mor, R. O., Schone, H. R., Moran, R., Brugger, P. and Makin, T. R. (2020). Motor control drives visual bodily judgements. Cognition, 196, 104120. [data + stimuli] [doi] [pdf] [twitter-thread]

PRESENTATIONS

Schone, H.R (2024). Neurocognitive considerations for engineering bionic limbs. Cognitive Science Society, Rotterdam, Netherlands (invited talk).

Schone, H.R (2024). Harnessing preserved sensorimotor representations for human-machine interfaces. ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (invited talk).

Schone, H.R (2024). Making sense of phantom limb pain. Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anesthetists, London, UK (invited talk).

Downey, J.E., Schone, H.R., Foldes, S.T., Greenspon, C., Liu, F., Verbaarschot, C., Biro, D., Satzer, D., Moon, C., Coffman, B., Youssofzadeh, Y., Fields, D., Hobbs, T.G., Okorokova, E., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Warnke, P.C., Gonzalez-Martinez, J., Hatsopoulos, H.G., Bensmaia, S.J., Boninger, M.I., Gaunt, R.A., Collinger, J.L. (2024). A roadmap for implanting microelectrode arrays to evoke tactile sensations through intracortical microstimulation. BRAIN Initiative Conference, Rockville, MD, USA (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R (2024). Neurocognitive considerations for engineering bionic limbs. Johns Hopkins University, Translational Neuroengineering Technologies (TNT) Seminar Series, Baltimore, MD, USA (invited talk).

Schone, H.R, Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I. (2024). Decoding action and observation of hand gestures in the human brain. Neural Control of Movement, Dubrovnik, Croatia (poster presentation).

Downey, J.E., Schone, H.R., Foldes, S.T., Greenspon, C., Liu, F., Verbaarschot, C., Biro, D., Satzer, D., Moon, C., Coffman, B., Youssofzadeh, Y., Fields, D., Hobbs, T.G., Okorokova, E., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Warnke, P.C., Gonzalez-Martinez, J., Hatsopoulos, H.G., Bensmaia, S.J., Boninger, M.I., Gaunt, R.A., Collinger, J.L. (2024). Using multimodal neuroimaging to guide brain-computer interface implantation. Neural Control of Movement, Dubrovnik, Croatia (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R (2024). Cortical reorganization: fact or fiction? University of Toronto, Human Pain Seminar Series. Toronto, CA (oral presentation)

Schone, H.R (2024). Neurocognitive Considerations for Engineering Bionic Bodies. Marlene Behrmann lab, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (oral presentation)

Schone, H.R., Kollamkulam, M., Gerrand, C., Sedki, I., Maimon-Mor, R. O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2023). Decoding a phantom hand: A pre- and post-amputation fMRI study. University of Cambridge, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R (2023). Does the cortical hand representation change following amputation? A pre- and post amputation fMRI study. UCL-NIMH Joint Symposium, London, UK, USA (oral presentation)

Schone, H.R., Udeozor, M., Moninghoff, M., Rispoli, B., Vandersea, J., Lock, B., Hargrove, L., Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I. (2023) Should bionic limb control mimic the human body? Impact of control strategy on bionic hand skill learning. Brain Computer Interface Meeting, Brussels, Belgium (poster presentation)

Schone, H.R., Makin, T.R., and Baker, C.I. (2023). Human See, Human Do: comparing motor and visual representations of hand gestures. Vision Sciences Society, Florida, USA (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R., Kollamkulam, M., Gerrand, C., Sedki, I., Maimon-Mor, R. O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2023). How does the cortical hand representation change following amputation? A pre- and post-amputation fMRI study. Neural Control of Movement, Victoria, Canada (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R., Kollamkulam, M., Gerrand, C., Sedki, I., Maimon-Mor, R. O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2022). How does the cortical hand representation change following amputation? A pre- and post-amputation fMRI study. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, Califorrnia, USA (oral presentation).
*Organized and chaired the SfN Nanosymposium where this work was presented

Schone, H.R., Udeozor, M., Moninghoff, M., Rispoli, B., Vandersea, J., Lock, B., Hargrove, L., Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I. (2022) Is the human body the best model for controlling artificial limbs? Comparing biomimetic and arbitrary control strategies. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, California, USA (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R., Edwards, G., Japee, S., Makin, T.R., and Baker, C.I. (2022) Decoding action and observation of biological and robotic hand gestures. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, California, USA (poster presentation)

Schone, H.R., Udeozor, M., Moninghoff, M., Rispoli, B., Vandersea, J., Lock, B., Hargrove, L., Edwards, G.E., Japee, S.J., Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I. (2022) Is the human body the best model for controlling artificial limbs? Comparing biomimetic and arbitrary control strategies. Neural Control of Movement, Dublin, Ireland (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R. (2022). Is the human body the ultimate design template for engineering robotic limbs? Brain Seminar. Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, London, UK. [twitter-thread] (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R. (2021). Is the human body the ultimate design template for artificial limbs? EMBC Conference workshop: From machine-brain interfaces (MBI) to neurorobotics: challenges and opportunities. https://neuroeng.org/workshop-embc2021 (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O., Baker, C.I., and Makin, T.R. (2020). Expert tool users do not visually embody their hand-held tool, Vision Sciences Society, St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R., Gerrand, C., Sedki, I., Maimon-Mor, R. O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2020). Preserved somatotopic organisation following hand amputation, British Sarcoma Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (poster presentation).

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O., Baker, C.I., and Makin, T.R.. (2020). Expert tool users do not visually embody their hand-held tool, Capital Area Cognition, Attention and Perception Conference, Washington, D.C. (oral presentation).

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2019). Investigating the neural embodiment of prosthetic limbs and tools. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, Illinois, USA (poster presentation)

Schone, H.R, Maimon-Mor, R.O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2019). Assessing prosthesis embodiment in elite prosthesis users. UCL-NIMH Joint Symposium, Bethesda, MD, USA (oral & poster presentation)

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O., Baker, C.I. and Makin, T.R. (2019). Assessing the neurocognitive characteristics of elite prosthesis users. Trent International Prosthetics Symposium, Manchester, UK (poster presentation)

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O., Moran, R., Brugger, P. and Makin, T.R. (2018). Bimanual sensorimotor system is more effective than a unimanual system. Hand, Brain and Technology conference, Ascona, Switzerland (poster presentation)

Schone, H.R., Maimon-Mor, R.O. and Makin, T.R. (2017). Assessing embodiment with visual priming tasks. Queen Square Symposium, London, UK (poster presentation)