Isaac Kurtzer studies how the nervous system enables coordinated actions. His research focuses on movements of the human upper limb including the process of motor selection/planning, corrective reactions, and the impact of Parkinson’s disease. He trains undergraduate and graduate students on experimental design and data collection and analysis, in addition to teaching several courses on the nervous system.He is an active member of the movement science community through his own work, reviewing, social organizing, and research collaborations.
Kurtzer received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Brandeis University, master’s degree in Cognition and Neuroscience at University of Texas at Dallas, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Issac Kurzer talks about his work in sensory motor control.
Recent Projects/Research
- Multi-joint reflexes of elbow and shoulder muscles
- Reach selection between the two arms
- Alterations in reflex function during Parkinson’s disease
Publications
- Kurtzer I (2015) Long-latency reflexes account for limb biomechanics through several supraspinal pathways. Frontiers of Integrative Neuroscience. 8: 99.
- Kurtzer I, Crevecoeur F, and Scott SH. (2014) Fast feedback control involves two independent processes utilizing knowledge of limb dynamics. Journal of Neurophysiology. 111: 1631-1645.
- Crevecoeur F, Kurtzer I, Bourke T, and Scott SH. (2013) Feedback responses rapidly scale with the urgency to correct for external disturbances. Journal of Neurophysiology. 110: 1323-1332.
- Kurtzer I, Trautman P, Rasquina, R, Bhanpuri N, Scott SH, and Bastian AJ. (2013) Cerebellar damage diminishes long-latency responses to multi-joint perturbations. Journal of Neurophysiology. 109: 2228- 2241.
- Pruszynski JA, Kurtzer I*, Nashed J, Omrani M. Brouwer B, and Scott SH. (2011) Primary motor cortex underlies multi-joint integration for fast feedback control. Nature 478:387-390. (co-1st author)
View a complete list of publications
Honors + Awards
- Pilot funding through NIH-R24 program (2013-14): “Patterns of long-latency reflexes in the multi-joint arm during Parkinson’s disease”. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
- NYITCOM Research Enhancement award (2011): “Testing the impact of Parkinson’s disease on the coordination of arm movements and postural control”. Medical school-wide award (1 of 2).
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- LBD 506: Nervous System and Behavior
- External anatomy of spinal cord, cerebellum, and brainstem
- General sensory systems
- Internal anatomy of the spinal cord
- Motor systems – basal ganglia
- Motor systems – cerebellum
- Motor systems – pyramidal tract
- Peripheral autonomic nervous system