Biographical Details
Dr. Firas Mawase’s journey reflects a passion for bridging science with clinical care. He is an Associate Professor at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he leads the Neurorehabilitation and Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab. Dr. Mawase earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and sharpened his expertise during a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Along the way, he was selected as one of Globes’ “40 Under 40” promising young leaders. He has also received prestigious honors such as the Rothschild Fellowship, the Alfred Blalock Award for outstanding clinical work, the MAOF Fellowship for exceptional young faculty. These accolades highlight Dr. Mawase’s blend of excellence in clinical insight, innovative research, and dedication to education.
Research Interests
Dr. Mawase’s research focuses on how the brain controls movement and learns new motor skills, bridging fundamental neural mechanisms with real-world rehabilitation. His lab investigates how different brain regions, particularly the motor cortex and cerebellum—work together to coordinate action. A central focus is on sensorimotor adaptation and skill learning, examining how we adjust movements in response to feedback and acquire new motor abilities over time. His team has identified specialized neural circuits for fine finger control; for instance, certain motor and premotor areas are essential for finger individuation but not necessarily for generating force. The lab also develops and applies computational models, including artificial neural networks, to simulate how cortical and subcortical structures interact during motor learning and recovery, especially in the context of stroke. Through this integrative approach, Dr. Mawase’s work advances both basic neuroscience and the development of effective rehabilitation strategies.
Select Publications
Kamara G, Rajchert O, Solomonow-Avnon D and Mawase F (2023). Generalization reveals asymmetric and interactive control networks for multi-finger dexterous movements. Cell Reports. 42(3):112214.
Sulieman A, Solomonow-Avnon D, Mawase F (2023). Cortically-evoked movement in humans reflects history of prior executions, not plan for upcoming movement. Journal of Neuroscience. 43 (27) 5030-5044.
Xu J*, Mawase F*, Schieber MH (2024). Evolution, biomechanics, and neurobiology converge to explain selective finger motor control. Physiological Reviews. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00030.2023. *Equally contributed.
Kadry A*, Solomonow-Avnon D*, Norman S, Xu J, Mawase F (2024). An ANN models cortical-subcortical interaction during post-stroke recovery of finger dexterity. *Equally contributed. Journal of Neural Engineering. 21:66011.