Somatosensory anatomy and physiology--interests include the anatomy and physiology of the mechanoreceptive structures of the skin that respond to vibratory inputs, and the investigation of the structure and function of the more central pathways of the tactile system, including cortical response. Efforts in this area are concentrated on defining the properties of the mechanoreceptive channels, including response to stimulus frequency, intensity, and temporal variables, as well as response to noxious and thermal stimulation.

Tactile psychophysics--interests include the behavioral response of humans and animals to tactile stimulation, particularly vibration. Efforts in this area concentrate on characterizing the response of the observer to stimuli that vary in frequency, intensity, and temporal factors, with current emphasis on facilitative and inhibitory interactions of multiple stimuli.

Tactile pattern perception--interests include the response of observers to complex spatial and temporal patterns presented to the skin surface. Efforts in this area concentrate on the effects of variations in spatial and temporal complexity on pattern identification, and include assessment of interactions of pattern stimuli presented at multiple sites on the skin surface in close temporal proximity.

Haptics--interests include characterization of active touch, or haptics, in which object sensing is under direct control of the observer. Efforts in this area include the investigation of the mechanisms underlying shape and texture perception, and delineating the roles of kinesthetic and tactile feedback in these activities.

Tactile communication of speech--interests include the design and evaluation of tactile devices for the transmission of speech information to persons who do not receive this information via conventional auditory channels. Efforts in this area include the study of what aspects of the stimulus delivered via tactile speech aids influence the ability to discriminate and identify speech sounds, the benefits provided by tactile devices in clinical and educational settings, the "natural" reception of tactile speech information via systems such as Tadoma, and interactions of the tactile stimulus and visual inputs from speechreading.

Impairments of tactile function--interests include the response of the tactile system to injurious stimulation, in particular to prolonged intense hand-arm vibration such as is encountered with some occupational and recreational devices, such as chain saws. Efforts in this area include specification of the nature and degree of injury caused by intense stimulation, on both the physiological and behavioral levels. Researchers in this area also investigate tactile dysfunction caused by disease (e.g., Hansen's disease, peripheral neuropathy), and by prolonged overactivity of the observer, as occurs in tactile dystonias and carpal tunnel syndrome.