HUNTER SCHONE

I'm a postdoctoral research associate working for Jennifer Collinger at the Rehabilitation and Neural Engineering Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh.

I have 7+ years of experience working on research on human-machine interfaces (prosthetics, BCIs), motor learning and neuroimaging. Here's my CV.

Previous labs:

Chris Baker, National Institutes of Health

Tamar Makin, University of Cambridge

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

Github

Google Scholar

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HOME: About

PROJECTS

HOME: Projects

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LEARNING TO OPERATE A MUSCLE-CONTROLLED ROBOTIC HAND

In this study, we are training 60 users to operate a EMG-controlled supernumerary robotic arm over a week with multiple pre-post motor and neural (fMRI) measures. Click the poster link below to see where the research is currently at.

Preliminary results presented at SfN 2022 [POSTER] and NCM 2022 [POSTER].

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DOES AMPUTATION CHANGE HAND REPRESENTATION?

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.

Preliminary results presented at SfN 2022.

TOOL USE IN EXPERT 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 (e.g. tool 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]

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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

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. bioRxiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.07.525548. [doi] [twittter-thread]

Schone, H.R., Kollamkulam, M., Gerrand, C., Kang, N., Sedki, I., Baker, C.I., and Makin, T.R. (in-prep). How does the cortical hand representation change following amputation? A pre- and post-amputation fMRI study

Schone, H.R., Makin, T.R. and Baker, C.I (in-prep). Human see, human do: comparing motor and visual representations of hand gestures.

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]

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

HOME: List

PRESENTATIONS

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)