Sahana N. Kukke

Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Catholic University of America
United States of America

Academician Biomedical Sciences
Biography

B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, June 1999 M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, May 2002 Ph.D., Bioengineering, Stanford University, June 2009 Postdoc, Rehab Medicine & Human Motor Control, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kukke's broad research interest is in the way sensation and movement are coupled and controlled in humans. She is particularly interested in the sense of touch, and how it guides movement of the upper extremity. Her research seeks to explore ways by which enhanced tactile sensation can lead to behavioral changes, primarily in hand use, and correlated neurophysiological changes, measurable using electroencephalography (EEG). Dr. Kukke is also interested in understanding mechanisms of impaired sensorimotor control in individuals with childhood-onset brain injuries, and translating research findings on tactile-motor control of the hand to improve functional movements in this clinical population. She is a member of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, the Neural Control of Movement Society, and the Society for Neuroscience.

Research Intrest

Research interest is in the way sensation and movement are coupled and controlled in humans. She is particularly interested in the sense of touch, and how it guides movement of the upper extremity. Her research seeks to explore ways by which enhanced tactile sensation can lead to behavioral changes, primarily in hand use, and correlated neurophysiological changes, measurable using electroencephalography (EEG).

List of Publications
Ben-Pazi H, Ishihara A, Kukke S, Sanger TD. Increasing viscosity and inertia using a robotically controlled pen improves handwriting in children. Journal of child neurology. 2010 Jun;25(6):674-80.
Kukke SN, Paine RW, Chao CC, de Campos AC, Hallett M. Efficient and reliable characterization of the corticospinal system using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Journal of clinical neurophysiology: official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society. 2014 Jun;31(3):246.
Shields J, Park JE, Srivanitchapoom P, Paine R, Thirugnanasambandam N, Kukke SN, Hallett M. Probing the interaction of the ipsilateral posterior parietal cortex with the premotor cortex using a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation technique. Clinical Neurophysiology. 2016 Feb 29;127(2):1475-80.