USC Researcher to Lead $2.4M AI Core for Raynor Cerebellum Project Treating Cerebellar Disorders – USC Viterbi
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 18:41:00
Source Domain: viterbischool.usc.edu
Illustration of the brain (credit: Gemini)
Imagine not being able to properly say a word or take a step. For patients with cerebellar disorders and other motor-related neurological diseases, this is their reality, as loss of basic motor control can significantly impair everyday function and gradually erode independence.
Every step a person takes, word they say and hand movement used to pick up an object depends on the cerebellum, the brain region responsible for muscle control, coordination and balance. Damage to this small structure at the back of the brain can impair nearly every coordinated movement a person makes.
Yet current treatments still fail to effectively address these disorders, a key gap that requires alternative therapy options for patients.
A promising alternative therapy option is neuromodulation, a technology that focuses on altering neural activity. By delivering targeted stimulation such as electrical impulses directly to specific areas of the brain, it can restore function or manage neurological conditions such as movement disorders.
However, existing neuromodulation therapies are “open-loop,” meaning they lack real-time brain monitoring and the precision necessary to provide adaptive care. Historically, identifying exactly where and when to apply stimulation has required extensive trial and error.
USC Researcher Maryam Shanechi
USC researcher Maryam Shanechi is leading the AI Core, the central AI effort to address the critical lack of therapeutic precision and the trial-and-error nature of neuromodulation therapies by building artificial intelligence (AI) models for cerebellar disorders in an upcoming research project. The AI team also includes Yisong Yue from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), who serves as co-investigator.
This study is funded by the Raynor Cerebellum Project (RCP), a program of the Once Upon a Time foundation with $50 million pledged toward the mission to improve the lives of…
