Vishal Rawji
@vishrawji.bsky.social
1) Post-doctoral fellow at Imperial College London; 2) NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Neurology at King's College London
MBPhD from University College London
Interests in human motor control including disease, neuromotor interfacing
MBPhD from University College London
Interests in human motor control including disease, neuromotor interfacing
Pinned
Vishal Rawji
@vishrawji.bsky.social
· Jan 7
Intuitive, multidimensional motor unit control after paralysing spinal cord injury using non-invasive recordings
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in profound motor impairment for approximately 20 million people worldwide. Regaining hand use is one of their highest priorities. Interestingly, even severely affecte...
www.medrxiv.org
New preprint! We show that people with tetraplegic spinal cord injury can use their residual motor unit activity to achieve up to three dimensional control using non-invasive high-density surface EMG
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Our paper is out in Science Advances!
What makes primate hands so dexterous?
We show that evolutionarily distinct spinal and cortical pathways work together to balance stability and flexibility, supporting remarkable primate hand control.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What makes primate hands so dexterous?
We show that evolutionarily distinct spinal and cortical pathways work together to balance stability and flexibility, supporting remarkable primate hand control.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Primate dexterous hand movements are controlled by functionally distinct premotoneuronal systems
Distinct spinal and cortical pathways coordinate muscle synergies and fine control to support primate dexterous hand movements.
www.science.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Our paper is out in Science Advances!
What makes primate hands so dexterous?
We show that evolutionarily distinct spinal and cortical pathways work together to balance stability and flexibility, supporting remarkable primate hand control.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What makes primate hands so dexterous?
We show that evolutionarily distinct spinal and cortical pathways work together to balance stability and flexibility, supporting remarkable primate hand control.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
“If your evidence is purely predictive, stop making mechanistic claims—or start designing the experiment that would let you”
Well-predicting machine learning in no way means that you can understand how the world works.
open.substack.com/pub/kording/...
open.substack.com/pub/kording/...
Forward vs Inverse problems: why high performance machine learning usually means little about how the world works
Understanding causality from machine learning is unfortunately usually impossible; life sciences take note
open.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:08 PM
“If your evidence is purely predictive, stop making mechanistic claims—or start designing the experiment that would let you”
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Open PhD position in our neural interfaces lab at University of Zaragoza within the @bsicos.i3a.es to work in the framework of our @erc.europa.eu project ECHOES. The PhD will be focused on analyzing peripheral neural signals to muscles.
➕ℹ️ i3a.unizar.es/es/ofertas-d...
Share, please ;)
➕ℹ️ i3a.unizar.es/es/ofertas-d...
Share, please ;)
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
February 6, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Open PhD position in our neural interfaces lab at University of Zaragoza within the @bsicos.i3a.es to work in the framework of our @erc.europa.eu project ECHOES. The PhD will be focused on analyzing peripheral neural signals to muscles.
➕ℹ️ i3a.unizar.es/es/ofertas-d...
Share, please ;)
➕ℹ️ i3a.unizar.es/es/ofertas-d...
Share, please ;)
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
The Neural Control and Computation Lab is seeking a skilled part-time software engineer in Toronto to lead the development of ATHENA (Automatically Tracking Hands Expertly with No Annotations), our open-source, Python-based toolbox for 3D markerless tracking!
www.yorku.ca/health/resea...
www.yorku.ca/health/resea...
www.yorku.ca
January 13, 2026 at 2:52 PM
The Neural Control and Computation Lab is seeking a skilled part-time software engineer in Toronto to lead the development of ATHENA (Automatically Tracking Hands Expertly with No Annotations), our open-source, Python-based toolbox for 3D markerless tracking!
www.yorku.ca/health/resea...
www.yorku.ca/health/resea...
New preprint! We show that people with tetraplegic spinal cord injury can use their residual motor unit activity to achieve up to three dimensional control using non-invasive high-density surface EMG
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
Intuitive, multidimensional motor unit control after paralysing spinal cord injury using non-invasive recordings
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in profound motor impairment for approximately 20 million people worldwide. Regaining hand use is one of their highest priorities. Interestingly, even severely affecte...
www.medrxiv.org
January 7, 2026 at 10:28 PM
New preprint! We show that people with tetraplegic spinal cord injury can use their residual motor unit activity to achieve up to three dimensional control using non-invasive high-density surface EMG
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
With my co-first authors Xingchen Yang and Ciara Gibbs
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/13
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
💬 Viewpoint: Mass abstract submissions in #MedEd have led to inflated metrics, less meaningful research, and misaligned incentives for trainees and institutions.
ja.ma/3MYsmvO
ja.ma/3MYsmvO
January 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM
💬 Viewpoint: Mass abstract submissions in #MedEd have led to inflated metrics, less meaningful research, and misaligned incentives for trainees and institutions.
ja.ma/3MYsmvO
ja.ma/3MYsmvO
I was admittedly a little sad when our SCI study didn’t initially feature in “the list” but am really happy to see it now! (On my wife’s 30th birthday too!)
Many thanks!! @andpru.bsky.social, @gribblelab.org, @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social
superlab.ca/posts/2025-1...
Many thanks!! @andpru.bsky.social, @gribblelab.org, @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social
superlab.ca/posts/2025-1...
Reading List 314 – Sensorimotor Superlab
superlab.ca
December 5, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I was admittedly a little sad when our SCI study didn’t initially feature in “the list” but am really happy to see it now! (On my wife’s 30th birthday too!)
Many thanks!! @andpru.bsky.social, @gribblelab.org, @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social
superlab.ca/posts/2025-1...
Many thanks!! @andpru.bsky.social, @gribblelab.org, @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social
superlab.ca/posts/2025-1...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
3 Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Champalimaud Foundation (Fundação D. Anna de Sommer Champalimaud e Dr.
euraxess.ec.europa.eu
November 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Teaching chatbots to say “I don’t know” could curb hallucinations.
It could also break #AI’s business model. https://scim.ag/49cPY9d
It could also break #AI’s business model. https://scim.ag/49cPY9d
AI hallucinates because it’s trained to fake answers it doesn’t know
Teaching chatbots to say “I don’t know” could curb hallucinations. It could also break AI’s business model
scim.ag
October 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Teaching chatbots to say “I don’t know” could curb hallucinations.
It could also break #AI’s business model. https://scim.ag/49cPY9d
It could also break #AI’s business model. https://scim.ag/49cPY9d
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
🚨Big news!🚨
The lab is relocating to Lisbon, joining a great team of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, and the Neurotechnology Warehouse, a new initiative to bridge basic and translational research.
I'll be sharing postdoc openings soon. Come join us in this new incarnation of the lab!
The lab is relocating to Lisbon, joining a great team of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, and the Neurotechnology Warehouse, a new initiative to bridge basic and translational research.
I'll be sharing postdoc openings soon. Come join us in this new incarnation of the lab!
🧠🎼 What does it take to restore movement? Neuroscientist and engineer, @juangallego.bsky.social, joins the new Centre for Restorative Neurotechnology at the Champalimaud Foundation.
🔗 Find out more in this interview: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/juan-al...
🔗 Find out more in this interview: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/juan-al...
October 7, 2025 at 4:37 PM
🚨Big news!🚨
The lab is relocating to Lisbon, joining a great team of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, and the Neurotechnology Warehouse, a new initiative to bridge basic and translational research.
I'll be sharing postdoc openings soon. Come join us in this new incarnation of the lab!
The lab is relocating to Lisbon, joining a great team of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, and the Neurotechnology Warehouse, a new initiative to bridge basic and translational research.
I'll be sharing postdoc openings soon. Come join us in this new incarnation of the lab!
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
@benhayden.bsky.social
@tyrellturing.bsky.social
@jmgrohneuro.bsky.social
@pessoabrain.bsky.social
I see a lot of talk on here about how we should avoid
"x does y" talk because the brain is "a dynamic, reverberant, reciprocally interconnected system".
But this does not follow.
A thread...
@tyrellturing.bsky.social
@jmgrohneuro.bsky.social
@pessoabrain.bsky.social
I see a lot of talk on here about how we should avoid
"x does y" talk because the brain is "a dynamic, reverberant, reciprocally interconnected system".
But this does not follow.
A thread...
September 5, 2025 at 9:57 PM
@benhayden.bsky.social
@tyrellturing.bsky.social
@jmgrohneuro.bsky.social
@pessoabrain.bsky.social
I see a lot of talk on here about how we should avoid
"x does y" talk because the brain is "a dynamic, reverberant, reciprocally interconnected system".
But this does not follow.
A thread...
@tyrellturing.bsky.social
@jmgrohneuro.bsky.social
@pessoabrain.bsky.social
I see a lot of talk on here about how we should avoid
"x does y" talk because the brain is "a dynamic, reverberant, reciprocally interconnected system".
But this does not follow.
A thread...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Congrats to @alighavampour.bsky.social and @mnlmrc.bsky.social for developing a new paradigm for hand synergy learning. If you are looking for a motor skill task that seems impossibly difficult and really needs to learning to be mastered, here it is:
journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
A paradigm to study the learning of muscle activity patterns outside of the natural repertoire | Journal of Neurophysiology | American Physiological Society
The acquisition of novel muscle activity patterns is a key aspect of motor skill learning, which can be seen, for example, when beginner musicians learn new guitar or piano chords. To study this proce...
journals.physiology.org
July 21, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Congrats to @alighavampour.bsky.social and @mnlmrc.bsky.social for developing a new paradigm for hand synergy learning. If you are looking for a motor skill task that seems impossibly difficult and really needs to learning to be mastered, here it is:
journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
🚨New paper🚨
Neural manifolds went from a niche-y word to an ubiquitous term in systems neuro thanks to many interesting findings across fields. But like with any emerging term, people use it very differently.
Here, we clarify our take on the term, and review key findings & challenges rdcu.be/ex8hW
Neural manifolds went from a niche-y word to an ubiquitous term in systems neuro thanks to many interesting findings across fields. But like with any emerging term, people use it very differently.
Here, we clarify our take on the term, and review key findings & challenges rdcu.be/ex8hW
August 1, 2025 at 9:57 AM
🚨New paper🚨
Neural manifolds went from a niche-y word to an ubiquitous term in systems neuro thanks to many interesting findings across fields. But like with any emerging term, people use it very differently.
Here, we clarify our take on the term, and review key findings & challenges rdcu.be/ex8hW
Neural manifolds went from a niche-y word to an ubiquitous term in systems neuro thanks to many interesting findings across fields. But like with any emerging term, people use it very differently.
Here, we clarify our take on the term, and review key findings & challenges rdcu.be/ex8hW
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Check out our new review/perspective (w/ @juangallego.bsky.social & Devika Narain) on neural manifolds in the brain! It was a lot of fun to think through these ideas over the past couple of years, and I'm excited it's finally out in the world!
🔗: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📄: rdcu.be/ex8hW
🔗: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📄: rdcu.be/ex8hW
A neural manifold view of the brain - Nature Neuroscience
Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed how neural population activity underlying behavior can be well described by topological objects called neural manifolds. Understanding how nature, nurture...
www.nature.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Check out our new review/perspective (w/ @juangallego.bsky.social & Devika Narain) on neural manifolds in the brain! It was a lot of fun to think through these ideas over the past couple of years, and I'm excited it's finally out in the world!
🔗: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📄: rdcu.be/ex8hW
🔗: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📄: rdcu.be/ex8hW
Preprint out -- using intramuscular microelectrode arrays to detect residual motoneuron activity in tetraplegic spinal cord injury, and then using that activity for control
Credit to my other co-first authors Agnese Grison and Ciara Gibbs
1/n
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Credit to my other co-first authors Agnese Grison and Ciara Gibbs
1/n
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Multidimensional motoneuron control using intramuscular microelectrode arrays in tetraplegic spinal cord injury
Loss of hand function after spinal cord injury (SCI) significantly impairs independence and quality of life. Although residual muscle activity recorded on the skin can provide intuitive control signal...
www.medrxiv.org
July 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Preprint out -- using intramuscular microelectrode arrays to detect residual motoneuron activity in tetraplegic spinal cord injury, and then using that activity for control
Credit to my other co-first authors Agnese Grison and Ciara Gibbs
1/n
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Credit to my other co-first authors Agnese Grison and Ciara Gibbs
1/n
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Take a look at our recent article on neural interfaces based on EMG. We propose some new ideas regarding how one can take advantage of muscle recordings to estimate neural activity in the central nervous system. I hope you enjoy it!
lnkd.in/duAHSRB5
Temporary open link to the paper: rdcu.be/etI2K
lnkd.in/duAHSRB5
Temporary open link to the paper: rdcu.be/etI2K
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
June 27, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Take a look at our recent article on neural interfaces based on EMG. We propose some new ideas regarding how one can take advantage of muscle recordings to estimate neural activity in the central nervous system. I hope you enjoy it!
lnkd.in/duAHSRB5
Temporary open link to the paper: rdcu.be/etI2K
lnkd.in/duAHSRB5
Temporary open link to the paper: rdcu.be/etI2K
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
🚨 In our world riddled with misinformation and sensationalization, we must be cautious about handling accusations of scientific misconduct in our community. Weaponizing a public internet campaign is not the way.
📖 Read "A plea for academic decency"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📖 Read "A plea for academic decency"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A plea for academic decency - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
In an internet age when a viral sensationalist story gains far more traction than a nuanced and balanced discussion, we have become used to some politicians, media and web-based influencers bending th...
link.springer.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM
🚨 In our world riddled with misinformation and sensationalization, we must be cautious about handling accusations of scientific misconduct in our community. Weaponizing a public internet campaign is not the way.
📖 Read "A plea for academic decency"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📖 Read "A plea for academic decency"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Nature research paper: An instantaneous voice-synthesis neuroprosthesis
https://go.nature.com/4kLPolK
https://go.nature.com/4kLPolK
An instantaneous voice-synthesis neuroprosthesis - Nature
A brain-to-voice neuroprosthesis enables a man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to synthesize his voice in real time by decoding neural activity, demonstrating the potential of brain–computer interfaces to enable people with paralysis to speak intelligibly and expressively.
go.nature.com
June 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Nature research paper: An instantaneous voice-synthesis neuroprosthesis
https://go.nature.com/4kLPolK
https://go.nature.com/4kLPolK
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
I'm planning to write an editorial in @brain1878.bsky.social entitled "If patients only knew".
It's about obstacles that slow down or prevent people from participating in clinical studies and the pace of initiating #ClinicalTrials. If you have experience or comments please message me and repost.
It's about obstacles that slow down or prevent people from participating in clinical studies and the pace of initiating #ClinicalTrials. If you have experience or comments please message me and repost.
May 30, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I'm planning to write an editorial in @brain1878.bsky.social entitled "If patients only knew".
It's about obstacles that slow down or prevent people from participating in clinical studies and the pace of initiating #ClinicalTrials. If you have experience or comments please message me and repost.
It's about obstacles that slow down or prevent people from participating in clinical studies and the pace of initiating #ClinicalTrials. If you have experience or comments please message me and repost.
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
A pill for sleep apnea that keeps the airway open
www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org @meredithwadman.bsky.social
www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org @meredithwadman.bsky.social
May 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM
A pill for sleep apnea that keeps the airway open
www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org @meredithwadman.bsky.social
www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org @meredithwadman.bsky.social
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Job Alert (please repost)!
We are looking to hire a Research Assistant to join us in an exciting project looking into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and how brains learn to control them.
We are looking to hire a Research Assistant to join us in an exciting project looking into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and how brains learn to control them.
April 14, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Job Alert (please repost)!
We are looking to hire a Research Assistant to join us in an exciting project looking into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and how brains learn to control them.
We are looking to hire a Research Assistant to join us in an exciting project looking into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and how brains learn to control them.
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Those immensely useful tasks don’t “save the world” or “revolutionize healthcare as we know it” unfortunately.
A good read: www.bmj.com/content/386/...
A good read: www.bmj.com/content/386/...
April 2, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Those immensely useful tasks don’t “save the world” or “revolutionize healthcare as we know it” unfortunately.
A good read: www.bmj.com/content/386/...
A good read: www.bmj.com/content/386/...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
At @ox.ac.uk it's time for the staff survey. Here's my answer to: "What is the main thing the University could do to help you to progress your career?"
Please repost and respond similarly to the survey if you agree. It's the only way to get our points across!
Please repost and respond similarly to the survey if you agree. It's the only way to get our points across!
April 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
At @ox.ac.uk it's time for the staff survey. Here's my answer to: "What is the main thing the University could do to help you to progress your career?"
Please repost and respond similarly to the survey if you agree. It's the only way to get our points across!
Please repost and respond similarly to the survey if you agree. It's the only way to get our points across!
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Why academia is sleepwalking into self-destruction. My editorial @brain1878.bsky.social If you agree with the sentiments please repost. It's important for all our sakes to stop the madness
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
March 6, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Why academia is sleepwalking into self-destruction. My editorial @brain1878.bsky.social If you agree with the sentiments please repost. It's important for all our sakes to stop the madness
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
Reposted by Vishal Rawji
Why Alzheimer’s Scientists Are Re-thinking the Amyloid Hypothesis undark.org/2025/01/07/a...
Why Alzheimer’s Scientists Are Re-thinking the Amyloid Hypothesis
Recent studies implicate the immune system and a herpes virus as potential contributors to development of the disease.
undark.org
January 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Why Alzheimer’s Scientists Are Re-thinking the Amyloid Hypothesis undark.org/2025/01/07/a...