Dr. Cha is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology with subspeciality training in neurotology. She joined the faculty of the department in July 2019 as a MnDRIVE Scholar to pursue research on the application of non-invasive brain stimulation methods on the modulation of motion perception, treatment of vertigo, and enhancement of gait and balance. She developed the first neuromodulation based clinical trials in a motion entrainment disorder called mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) in which individuals who are exposed to passive oscillation, such as on a boat, develop a persistent oscillating vertigo as if they are still on the boat when they return to stable ground. The study of MdDS revealed the importance of brain regions not traditionally thought to be part of the vestibular system in the creation of motion perception. Understanding how motion entrainment can affect multiple resting state brain networks provided insights into why migraine, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction are frequently comorbid with vestibular disorders. Besides research on the use of non-invasive brain stimulation tools such as transcranial alternating current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. Cha sees patients in the neurology clinic with a focus on chronic headache, vertigo, and gait dysfunction.
