Neuroengineering

Our lab studies the response of bacteria to antibiotics in order to develop new methods for eradicating persistent bacteria.  Bacterial persistence is a form antibiotic resistance in which a transient fraction of bacterial cells tolerates severe antibiotic treatment while the majority of the population is eliminated. These ‘persisters’ can contribute to chronic infections and are a major medical problem. Despite their medical and scientific importance, presistence is not fully understood. A crucial challenge in studying bacterial persistence results from a lack of methods to isolate persisters from the heterogeneous populations in which they occur. As a result, systems-level analysis of persisters is beyond current techniques, and fundamental questions regarding their physiological diversity remain unanswered. Our lab seeks to develop methods to isolate persisters and study them with systems-wide, molecular techniques.  The resulting findings will be used to engineer improved antibiotic therapies.  Dr. Allison’s previous research included development of a novel method to eradicate pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, by metabolic stimulation and the finding that bacteria communicate with each other to alter their tolerance to antibiotics.

Therapeutic applications of ultrasound: Costas Arvanitis’ research investigates the therapeutic applications of ultrasound with an emphasis on brain cancer, and central nervous system disease and disorders. His research is focused on understanding the biological effects of ultrasound and acoustically induced microbubble oscillations (acoustic cavitation) and using them to study complex biological systems, such as the neurovascular network and the tumor microenvironment, with the goal of developing novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and central nervous system diseases and disorders.

Biomedical sensors and subsystems including bioMEMS Neural prostheses: cochlear and vestibular Vestibular rehabilitation

Diffuse optics, near infrared spectroscopy, diffuse correlation spectroscopy cerebral blood flow, cerebral oxygen metabolism, and hypoxia-ischemia. I am currently working on development and applications of a novel bedside monitor of cerebral oxygenation, perfusion, and metabolism. My goal is to apply these innovative optical techniques, dubbed near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy, to pediatric populations that could greatly benefit from a non-invasive, continuous monitor of brain health.

Neuromodulation of peripheral nerve activity Real-time control methods applied to electrophysiology measurements Autonomic modulation of visceral organs. Our laboratory combines engineering and neuroscience to tackle real-world problems. We utilize techniques including intracellular and extracellular electrophysiology, computational modeling, and real-time computing.  

Dr. Chang is the director of the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory in the School of Applied Physiology. His research program focuses on trying to understand how animals move through and interact with their environment. He integrates approaches and techniques from both biomechanics and neurophysiology to elucidate both passive mechanical and active neural mechanisms that control limbed locomotion in humans and other terrestrial vertebrates. This multidisciplinary approach allows him to test hypotheses about the basic design and function of the locomotor apparatus throughout a variety of conditions. His current goal is to understand the extent to which muscular reflexes can influence limb coordination during locomotion and how global limb control strategies may be affected by sensorimotor perturbations.

My research area is biomechanics and mechanobiology with focus on: Glaucoma, including studies of aqueous humour drainage, optic nerve head biomechanics, and stem cell therapies in glaucoma; and Mechanobiology of osteoarthritis.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy, brain thermometry, inflammatory biomarkers, and machine learning for neuroimaging. The focus of the Fleischer Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging Laboratory is the development of advanced imaging and spectroscopy tools for translational applications including identification of new biomarkers for monitoring cancer treatment and non-invasive brain thermometry. Our group is highly interdisciplinary and provides a collaborative and dynamic environment for students and trainees to conduct research with direct therapeutic and clinical applications.

Neuroengineering, ultra-high throughput genomics instrumentation; detection, separation, amplification of DNA; 3-D microfabrication technologies for genomics applications; and micro-lenslet arrays.

Sensory physiology, neural circuits, cerebral cortex, computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, neural coding, optical imaging, and optogenetics. Bilal Haider’s research goal is to identify cellular and circuit mechanisms that modulate neuronal responsiveness in the cerebral cortex in vivo. He has identified excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in vivo that mediate rapid initiation, sustenance, and termination of persistent activity in the cortex. He is investigating the role of inhibitory circuits during wakefulness. His work showed for the first time that synaptic inhibition powerfully controls the spatial and temporal properties of visual processing in the awake cortex. His future research will investigate mechanisms used by excitatory and inhibitory neuronal sub-types in the cortex during goal-directed behaviors.

Systems Biophotonics, Imaging Technology, Intelligent Materials, Optical AI

Magnetic resonance imaging, functional MRI, neural connectivity, learning and plasticity.

Traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, Neural tissue engineering, Injury biomechanics, Neural interfacing, and Cognitive impairment associated with brain injury and aging.

Microfluidics; bioMEMS; behavior neuroscience; cell biology; automation and high throughput engineering approaches to biology and biotechnology.

Artificial intelligence, deep learning, reinforcement learning, computational and systems neuroscience, closed-loop neural interface systems, biomarker discovery and neuromodulation therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.

We are interested in understanding the genetic basis of heritable behavioral variation. In the current age, it has become cheap and easy to catalog the set of genetic differences between two individuals. But which genetic differences are responsible for generating differences in innate behaviors, including liability to neurological diseases such as autism, bipolar disease, and schizophrenia? How do these causative genetic variants modify a nervous system? Besides their role in disease, genetic variation is the substrate for natural selection. To understand how behavior evolves, we must understand how it varies.

The focus of our research is the mechanics of hearing. In order to improve our fundamental understanding of the biophysics of hearing, we develop multiphysics computational models of the mammalian ear and simulate the response of the inner ear (cochlea) and middle ear to sounds as well as the emission of sounds by the ear (otoacoustic emissions). This research could result in better diagnostic tools for hearing pathologies and in new treatments and devices that restore hearing.

Mechanisms of motor coordination: role of sensory feedback for posture and locomotion, musculoskeletal biomechanics

Dr. Pardue’s lab is focused on developing treatments for people with vision loss. Steps to successful treatment require understanding the mechanisms of the disease and characterizing temporal changes to identify therapeutic windows, with the ultimate goal of rehabilitation of visual function. She uses behavioral electrophysiological, morphological, molecular, and imaging approaches to evaluate changes in retinal function and structure. Her research is guided by applying knowledge of retinal circuits and visual processing, often leading to studies of cognition and the interaction of retinal and visual circuits during health and disease. Her studies start in animal models and move to human trials when possible. 

The major research focus of my research is on biomechanics and motor control of locomotion and reaching movements in normal as well as in neurological and musculoskeletal pathological conditions. In particular, we study the mechanisms of sensorimotor adaptation to novel motor task requirements caused by visual impairament, peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury, and amputation. We also investigate how motor practice and sensory information affect selections of adaptive motor strategies.

Biological and computational vision; Theoretical and computational neuroscience; Signal processing and data analysis for biotechnology applications; Neuromodulation  

Physiological and biomechanical mechanisms underlying fine motor skills and their adjustments and adaptations to heightened sympathetic nerve activity, aging or inactivity, space flight or microgravity, neuromuscular fatigue, divided attention, and practice in humans. He uses state-of-the-art techniques in neuroscience, physiology, and biomechanics (e.g., TMS, EEG, fMRI, single motor unit recordings, microneurography, mechanomyography, ultrasound elastography, and exoskeleton robot) in identifying these mechanisms.

Neural coding, neural signal processing, sensory processing, vision and touch, neural prosthetics, and estimation and control.

Biomechanics and neural control of movement, movement disorders, rehabilitation, musculoskeletal modeling, computational neuroscience, neuromechanical simulation of movement, and biorobotics.

Disruptive technologies enabled by nanoscale materials and devices will define our future in the same way that microtechnology has done over the past several decades. Our current research centers on the design and synthesis of novel nanomaterials for a broad range of applications, including nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, cancer theranostics, tissue engineering, controlled release, catalysis, and fuel cell technology. We are design and synthesize/fabricate novel nanomaterials that could serve as: 1) theranostic agents for cancer and other diseases; 2) multifucntional probes for cellular tracking; 3) smart capsules for site-specific, on-demand delivery; and 4) scaffolds for the repair or regeneration of tissues.

Our Computational Neuroethology Laboratory is interested in understanding how behaviorally-relevant sensory signals are encoded by cortical neurons, and what factors (e.g. experience, hormones) might lead to plastic changes in that code. We investigate this in the mouse, where ultrasonic communication between animals provides a natural behavioral context for these studies, and transgenic methods offer future possibilities for mechanistic dissection of coding mechanisms. Our experimental approaches include electrophysiology in awake mice, hormonal manipulations, immunohistochemistry, and behavioral analysis. We also employ computational methods to analyze the information processing capabilities of neurons.

Neuroengineering, Tissue Engineering, Organ-on-chips, Microfluidics, Drug Delivery, Cell Mechanics

Physiological sensing, neural engineering

Exploration of the coordination of skeletal muscle structure and function. This work has two thrusts: understanding the mechanism by which mechanical signals alter muscle structure and understanding the functional demands on muscle

Auditory Cortex, Neural Characterization, Machine Learning

Neural signal processing

Scientific automation with a focus area in in-vivo patch clamping. Other interests include mechatronics, design, and computer modeling of thermal, electrical, mechanical, kinematic, and dynamic systems.

Microfludics, neuroscience, neuroengineering

Autonomous, dynamic systems. Neuromechanics and human locomtion. Biomimetic controllers.

Connectomics, process optimization, electron microscopy, serial sectioning, microfluidics, capillary interactions, tomography

Neuroscience, robotics, and automation. 

We are investigating mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in a heterogeneous preclinical model, in order to capture the diversity of clinical mTBI patients.

My research interests involve rehabilition and assistive technologies for the augmentation and restoration of human mobility. 

neural interfaces, functional electrical stimulation (FES), peripheral nerve stimulation, nerve conduction block, computational modeling, biochemistry, real-time system

Individuality, neural engineering, connecting brain and behavior

dynamics of the brain's intrinsic activity

Electrophysiology Optogenetics Epilepsy

Regenerative medicine, aging, longevity, stem cell engineering, tissue engineering, neuroengineering

Space habitability, model-based systems engineering, neuroscience, cognitive engineering 

Neuroengineering