Molly Brillinger, PhD

Research Area: My research background spans experimental motor control and learning, skill acquisition, and applied sport science. Broadly, I am interested in how movements are planned, controlled, and acquired within complex social and performance environments, with a particular focus on how information shapes action. During my PhD, I studied motor imagery of joint action, examining how individuals mentally rehearse interpersonal movements and coordinate with others in imagined and real contexts. Building on this foundation, my postdoctoral research applies principles of cognition and motor learning to applied settings, examining how information in high-performance sport environments influences decision making, performance, and learning. 

Favourite Hobbies: My hobbies include reading, hiking, and anything health & fitness related

Key Publications:

  1. Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A., Hodges, N.J., Tremblay, L., Scott, M.W., Manzone, D.M., Tamminen, K.A., Welsh, T.N. (2025). Cooperative and Competitive Dyad Learning Environments Influence Psychosocial, But Not Motor, Outcomes in a Relative-Timing Task. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 1(aop), 1-28.

  2. Brillinger, M., Bai, Y., Karlinsky, A., Welsh, T.N., Poliakoff, E., Gowen, E. (2025). A mixed methods exploration of motor imagery in autistic and non-autistic adults: Diverse experiences and implications for interventions. PloS one, 20(6), e0326542.

  3. Brillinger, M., Wang, X. M., & Welsh, T. N. (2025). The assumed motor capabilities of a partner influence motor imagery in a joint serial disc transfer task. Cognition, 254, 105964.

  4. Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A., & Patterson, J. (2024). Examining learner-controlled role-switching in dyad practice for the learning of a speed cup-stacking task. Journal of Motor Behavior, 56(2), 211-225.

  5. Yoxon, E., Brillinger, M., & Welsh, T. N. (2022). Behavioural indexes of movement imagery ability are associated with the magnitude of corticospinal adaptation following movement imagery training. Brain Research, 1777, 147764.

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