At the Neuromechanics Lab at IITM, we welcome motivated students with open minds and strong work ethics. Our team members support each other professionally and personally, creating an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute. The idea is to put a group of good kindhearted individuals together in a harassment free environment that nurtures free thinking and hope that they will shine and become “their best versions”. Everyone is creative, all students have some form of intelligence. We believe PhD students develop into independent researchers when they take ownership of their work from day one. While high-quality feedback and guidance is always available, we encourage students to drive their own research questions and approaches, with the advisor serving as a mentor and collaborator rather than a director. This means students have near-infinite amount of freedom. We strongly believe that students who are responsible thrive with freedom and truly deserve that freedom.
Our lab culture encourages honest, constructive feedback between all members—including the PI. We believe that rigorous peer review within the lab leads to stronger science and better publications. Everyone's perspective is valued, regardless of their position in the academic hierarchy. (Example: Swarnab’s unique paper in the niche journal Neuropsycholgia. The strategy to presenting the results in this manuscript from these results were significantly improved after a particularly polemical lab meeting.).
Some numbers (for reference):
| Item | Metric |
|---|---|
| Publications (+Patents) in the last 5 years | 23 (Mostly Q1 & Q2 journals) |
| Publications currently under consideration | 8 |
| Student achievements that we are proud of: (We are proud of all our students and all their achievements no matter how small, but here are some metrics just so others can see them): | |
| Students who received Best PhD thesis award | 1 |
| Students who went on International exchange | 1 |
| Students who won Prime Ministers' research fellowship (PMRF) | 3 |
We prioritize publication quality over quantity, focusing on thorough and rigorous studies that advance the field of neuromechanics. Our track record includes publications in high-quality journals, spread over several disciplines (see publications). We believe in quietly pushing the boundaries by doing what we do well: rigorous, no-nonsense, old school, experimental neuroscience. We train ourselves in topics we are not well versed with, we add value to ourselves in multiple dimensions in this thriving environment, while making sure we remain grounded.
Current research projects
Our research at the Neuromechanics Lab explores the fascinating intersection of motor control in health, disease, and aging, while also developing innovative rehabilitation diagnostic and therapeutic devices for specific neuromotor disorders. While we encourage students to bring their own research questions, we currently have exciting opportunities in:
1. Aging and Motor Control: Investigating age-related changes in grasping strategies under cognitive load and uncertainty, using fingertip force measurements and neural correlates through EEG (building on our work in Dutta & SKM Neuropsychologia ; Eswari et. al.). This research aims to enhance our understanding of healthy aging and potentially inform interventions that maintain motor function throughout the lifespan.
2. Rehabilitation Technology:: Developing diagnostic and therapeutic devices for individuals with stroke and Parkinson's disease. These projects combine engineering innovation with clinical needs to create solutions that measurably improve patient quality of life and independence.
Our approach leverages our extensive experience in human experimentation, including precise fingertip force measurements, sophisticated kinematic analysis, and EEG recording to understand both the mechanical and neural aspects of movement (See facilities)
Schedule Expectations & Work-Life Balance
While we don't maintain rigid work schedules, students typically spend time in the lab during daytime hours to maximize collaborative opportunities with both the advisor and fellow lab members. As an experimental lab that thrives on teamwork, we encourage scheduling that allows for substantial overlap with other team members.
We maintain lab curfew hours from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM to promote healthy sleep habits—recognizing that rest, refreshment, and recharging are essential for creative scientific thinking and productive experiments.
Students manage their own schedules and are encouraged to maintain work-life balance, including engaging in activities outside the lab that bring them joy and perspective. We find that students who develop as whole individuals ultimately become better scientists. At the same time, successful PhD students naturally find themselves prioritizing their research among their most important professional commitments.
Publication Expectations (Minimum)
For healthy human work (non-clinical work), 3 high quality publications (JCR Q1/Q2 journals) - at least one of them accepted and maximum one of them under preparation. For clinical work (work with patients), 2 high quality publications (JCR Q1/Q2 journals) with at least one of them accepted. (Since clinical work involving patients requires more patience (excuse the pun!) and collecting this data takes more time and this data is more valuable with potential for more impactful publications, we believe it is acceptable to have a slightly less number of papers for clinical work.)