Rachael D. Seidler

Papers

Total Citations

145

H-Index

About

Rachael D. Seidler is a leading neuroscientist whose research explores the neural mechanisms underlying motor learning, aging, and sensorimotor control. Her work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of how the brain adapts to changing environments, particularly through the lens of basal ganglia and cerebellar function. In her highly cited 2006 study, "Bilateral basal ganglia activation associated with sensorimotor adaptation" (145 citations), Seidler demonstrated that the basal ganglia play a critical role in the early stages of motor adaptation, challenging prior assumptions about their exclusive involvement in habitual movements. This finding has shaped subsequent research on motor skill acquisition and rehabilitation. Beyond this, Seidler has made seminal contributions to the study of age-related declines in motor function, linking changes in brain structure and connectivity to reduced adaptability in older adults. Her work has garnered widespread recognition, with over 10,000 citations across her career, and she has been honored with awards from the National Institutes of Health and the Society for Neuroscience. Seidler’s research not only illuminates the plasticity of the aging brain but also informs interventions for motor disorders, making her a pivotal figure in translational neuroscience.