# @wvu_rni on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C6tWFNZPslc
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/17291840-wvu-rni-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/afd74d28ac.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-05-08T13:05:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (@wvu_rni) — https://gondola.cc/wvu_rni

## Caption

#StudentSpotlight: Rachel Taitano is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the WVU Department of Neuroscience.

Rachel is pursuing a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree in Dr. Valeriya Gritsenko's lab. Her research interests include neural control of movement, motor learning, and modeling. She is set to defend her dissertation, "Spinal anatomy underlying muscle synergies," this month.

"Similar to many people, I've had relatives who have had memory disorders, stroke, and other neurological disorders. That was really the catalyst for my desire to pursue neuroscience research and help improve outcomes for those patients. My current research looks at sensory-motor control within the nervous system, trying to develop methods for assessment and improve rehabilitation protocols for patients who have a stroke, spinal cord injury, and other similar conditions."

A mom of two, Rachel plans to pursue child neurology and continue doing clinical research to improve rehabilitation and motor assessment for pediatric patients who have neurological injuries.

#WVUNeuro #WVUNeurology #WVURNI #Neurology #Neuroscience

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## Tags

neuroscience, studentspotlight, wvuneurology, neurology, wvuneuro, wvurni

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