Anita Nayo Hill, PT, DPT, PhD

Anita Nayo Hill, PT, DPT, PhD

Have you ever wondered why it takes humans much longer than other mammals to move independently around the world? Humans clumsily learn to grasp and reach, then crawl and walk over several years as the brain is strengthening and refining connections that are necessary for fluid and precise movement. Dr. Hill’s research investigates the development of motor learning mechanisms necessary for children to learn a novel task. She has developed interactive, web-based games that are completed on a home computer to explore children’s ability to accurately learn the motor task when given a binary (success or fail) reward signal. This work seeks to understand how the brain matures in its ability to incorporate different types of feedback, insight that could provide guidance for developing more effective interventions for recovery after early brain injury.

The monthly T32 program seminar, showcasing a breath of experiences from junior and senior investigators and clinician scientists, has been a valuable resource for Dr. Hill as she explores the next steps in her scientific career.