PMDC conducts basic science research (bench research) in the laboratory.
Dr. Mark Baron and his team of laboratory researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center are using rodent models to gain insight on Dystonia, the third most common movement disorder characterized by ineffective, twisting movements and contorted postures. The underlying abnormalities in the brain responsible for secondary dystonia have not been well studied.
In collaboration with VCU biomedical engineering faculty Dr. Paul Wetzel and others, PMDC Director Dr. Mark Baron developed an automate eye-tracking system that analyzes eye movement as a means of differentiating and diagnosing more than 20 neurological diseases.