Jonathan S. Diamond

Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, Queen's University

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Total Citations

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About

Jonathan S. Diamond is a researcher in motor control and human sensorimotor learning, with a focus on how the brain coordinates movement and adapts to complex physical environments. His work bridges biomechanics, haptic perception, and computational motor control. In a highly cited 2011 study (40 citations), Diamond demonstrated that haptic feedback plays a critical role in learning to manipulate nonrigid objects—such as those with internal degrees of freedom—revealing how touch informs the brain’s internal models of object dynamics. A second influential paper (2017, 32 citations) investigated how the motor system handles target uncertainty during reaching movements. Diamond showed that when people must act before knowing which target is correct, they do not simply average motor plans; instead, grip force and movement trajectories reflect an optimization strategy that balances risk and precision. This work challenges earlier models of motor averaging and highlights the brain’s ability to make efficient decisions under uncertainty. Diamond’s research has implications for robotics, rehabilitation, and human–machine interfaces, and his contributions continue to shape our understanding of dexterous manipulation and motor planning.