Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute was pleased to welcome Jonathan Wood, PhD, as a postdoctoral fellow in the fall of 2023. Over the past two years, Dr. Wood’s research has focused on understanding impairments in motor learning and motor control in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. His primary mentor during his time at the Institute has been Aaron Wong, PhD, Director of the Cognitive-Motor Learning Laboratory, and he was co-mentored by Amanda Therrien, PhD, Director of the Sensorimotor Learning Laboratory. Dr. Wood recently accepted a faculty appointment at the University of Delaware, and he will assume his new role as Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Department in the College of Health Sciences on January 2, 2026.
In his new research lab at the University of Delaware, Dr. Wood will be working towards the long-term goal of advancing rehabilitation practice by leveraging theories of motor learning and motor control to optimize interventions that will improve physical function and quality of life for people with neurologic disorders. To accomplish this his lab will use a combination of behavioral and computational techniques to work towards three main scientific objectives: 1) determine how to drive the efficient learning and retention of skilled movements; 2) identify targets for rehabilitation interventions by investigating the specific cognitive and motor impairments caused by neurologic disorders; and 3) determine how to optimize rehabilitation interventions for people with neurologic disease. He will also be involved in teaching a course that will focus on motor learning, motor control, and neurorehabilitation in the physical therapy curriculum at the University of Delaware.
Before departing the Institute, Dr. Wood will spend the next several months wrapping up work on ongoing research projects and preparing for his transition into his new faculty role. Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute provides an exceptional training environment for postdoctoral fellows, and we look forward to continuing to keep in touch with Dr. Wood as he begins the next phase of his career as a faculty member and independent investigator.