After an additional postdoctoral year with Anders Lundberg in Sweden, he returned to join Karl Frank.s newly formed Laboratory of Neural Control, where he became chief in 1975. Dr. Burke.s laboratory studies the structure and function of the spinal cord, with particular emphasis on neural circuits that generate and control rhythmic activities. In general, our research interests focus on the structure and function of the spinal cord, with special emphasis on the neurons and circuits that control movement. Most of our work is done with isolated portions of the spinal cord from neonatal rodents or adult amphibians, maintained in vitro to permit intra- and extracellular recording from individual neurons or populations of functionally similar neurons. We are interested in the anatomical characteristics and functional properties of individual neurons and synaptic systems, as well as in systems of motoneurons and associated interneurons that generate identifiable motor behaviors such as rhythmic locomotion or scratching.
Extensive use is made of computers to collect and analyze experimental data.
We also use computer and mathematical approaches to develop numerical and analytical models that are based on experimental data. These models are used to test hypotheses that could .explain.