Center for Neurotechnology

Last updated

Center for Neurotechnology
FormationAugust 15, 2011;13 years ago (2011-08-15) [1]
Location
Directors
Rajesh Rao & Chet Moritz
Deputy Directors
Sam Kassegne, Polina Anikeeva
Previous Directors
Yoky Matsuoka, Thomas Daniel
Website centerforneurotech.uw.edu

The Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) is an Engineering Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation, develops devices to restore the body's capabilities for sensation and movement. The center is based at the University of Washington. Its core partner organizations are Massachusetts Institute of Technology and San Diego State University.

Contents

Mission

The center's mission is to develop innovative neural devices and methods for directing engineered neuroplasticity in the brain and spinal cord, which will improve sensory and motor function for people with spinal cord injury, stroke and other neurological disorders. Engineered neuroplasticity is a new form of rehabilitation. By using engineered devices to re-wire the nervous system and restore connections in the brain and spinal cord. [2] The center researchers specialize in fields related to neural engineering.Center faculty also hail from various fields of medicine to help assist with real-world implementation of designs. [3] The center places a strong emphasis on neuroethics, exploring how ethical issues such as identity, privacy, and moral or legal responsibility in relation to the expanding field of neural technologies.

The National Science Foundation has awarded the CNT $~30 million since 2011. [1] In September 2018, the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering changed its name to the Center for Neurotechnology to highlight the role of neurotechnologies in healing the brain and spinal cord. [4]

Research

Testbeds

  1. Cortical Plasticity Testbed: The goal of this testbed is to engineer neuroplasticity in the brain, improving the brain's ability to adapt and recover after injury. It is targeted toward people with neurological disorders such as stroke. Center researchers test the ability of neural stimulation protocols to induce activity-dependent neuroplasticity by remodeling neural connections between cortical regions in the brain.
  2. Spinal Plasticity Testbed: This testbed directly tests researchers ability to engineer neuroplasticity within the spinal cord after injury..Center researchers are using electrical spinal stimulation synchronized with residual muscle activity or movement in order to produce lasting improvements in hand and arm function after spinal cord injury.
  3. Co-adaptation Testbed: This testbed focuses on understanding and developing mathematical algorithms designed to help a brain–computer interface co-adapt with the brain itself in a neural stimulation system. An example of work is to quantify large-scale cortical dynamics during learning and neuroplasticity induction, as well as changes in cortical dynamics that occur when users directly control brain stimulation using their thoughts.

Thrusts

A Research Thrust is the fundamental knowledge or basic research that investigators bring to the center. These thrusts feed into technologies that exist and that CNT researchers are focusing on, including electrocorticography, the practice of placing electrodes on the brain to record electrical activity. These new technologies are then integrated into research testbeds. [5]

Thrust 1: Communication and Interface

The Communication and Interface thrust is largely concerned with developing more intelligent ways of extracting information from the brain, interpreting them, and then providing feedback to the neural system. [6] The objective of developing these intelligent systems is to use less power to compute faster, and, potentially, harvest their power through innovative sources. At the same time, these systems must be user-friendly. In other words, they must be easy to use and reliable in mechanical design and computation functions. An objective of this thrust is to develop an electrocorticography (ECoG) system that is compact and power efficient enough to be fully implantable.

Thrust 2: Computational Neuroscience

The object of Thrust 2 is to better understand neural circuit dynamics and develop co-adaptive mathematical algorithms for inducing neuroplasticity in the brain and spinal cord. A deeper understanding of the brain's computation will inform design of sensorimotor devices for neural control and allow for more targeted future work on investigating neural function. [7] Using this knowledge, inorganic systems can be better engineered to better interact with the brain's endogenous system of computation.

Thrust 3: Experimental Neuroscience

The Experimental Neuroscience thrust seeks to uncover fundamental principles of sensorimotor neuroscience by performing innovative closed-loop experiments enabled by CNT hardware and computational advances.

Thrust 4: Neuroethics

The Neuroethics thrust is concerned with understanding and exploring ethical issues like privacy, normality, and moral or legal responsibilities in relation to neural technologies. [8] One focus is on ensuring that people with disabilities are involved at every point in the development of the technologies that are ultimately aimed at assisting them. The neuroethics team conducts focus group discussions with these "end users" to help guide the work of other CNT researchers concerned with developing these assistive systems.

Educational programs

Brain Awareness Week, 2014 Brain Awareness Week 2014.jpg
Brain Awareness Week, 2014

The CNT places emphasis on educating the next generation of researchers. This includes traditional programs at the graduate level, but also programs designed for undergraduates, K-12 students, and K-12 teachers to encourage diversity and inclusion of minorities and persons with disabilities. [9] The CNT operates as a host site for NSF programs, including: Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Research Experiences for Teachers.

Undergraduates (REU)

As a host site for NSF's REU program, the CNT hosts students from across the United States for ten weeks during the summer. REU students conduct research in CNT labs, attend lectures and take part in classes covering scientific communications and research methods.

Veterans (REV)

The center sponsors a program for veterans on the University of Washington's Seattle campus. Similar to the REU program, participants from across the United States take part in research at the interface of biology and engineering for ten weeks during the summer. REV participants work in CNT labs, attend lectures and learn about scientific communications and research methods.

Teachers (RET)

Similar to the NSF REU program, the RET program places teachers in CNT labs. Participating teachers develop lesson plans to take back to the classroom; these lesson plans are posted on the CNT website for anyone to access and use.

Young Scholars Program (YSP)

The Young Scholars Program is a summer program designed to give high school students the opportunity to conduct research in an academic laboratory setting before entering college. In 2017, the CNT piloted a condensed version of this program called YSP-REACH. YSP-REACH is a five-day summer program at the University of Washington. High school students receive an introduction to neuroscience and neural engineering, neuroethics, scientific communication and the latest developments in brain-computer interfaces. The goal of YSP and YSP-REACH is to provide students with exposure to the field of neural engineering and provide basic preparation for college studies in STEM subjects as well as future STEM careers.

Undergraduate Curriculum

The CNT has developed new undergraduate curriculum for the University of Washington that includes the course Neural Engineering, Neural Engineering Lab and Neural Engineering Tech Studio. An undergraduate minor in Neural Computation and Engineering is now available. [10] Materials from these courses will be disseminated to partner institutions. [10]

Graduate Curriculum

The CNT has developed new curriculum for a graduate certificate in Neural Computation and Engineering that includes two new courses. [11] In addition, the CNT supports exchange students to promote an international spirit of collaboration within the field. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuroscience</span> Scientific study of the nervous system

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developmental biology, cytology, psychology, physics, computer science, chemistry, medicine, statistics, and mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental and emergent properties of neurons, glia and neural circuits. The understanding of the biological basis of learning, memory, behavior, perception, and consciousness has been described by Eric Kandel as the "epic challenge" of the biological sciences.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to neuroscience:

Neurotechnology encompasses any method or electronic device which interfaces with the nervous system to monitor or modulate neural activity.

Neuroprosthetics is a discipline related to neuroscience and biomedical engineering concerned with developing neural prostheses. They are sometimes contrasted with a brain–computer interface, which connects the brain to a computer rather than a device meant to replace missing biological functionality.

Martha Julia Farah is a cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked on an unusually wide range of topics; the citation for her lifetime achievement award from the Association for Psychological Science states that “Her studies on the topics of mental imagery, face recognition, semantic memory, reading, attention, and executive functioning have become classics in the field.”

Neural engineering is a discipline within biomedical engineering that uses engineering techniques to understand, repair, replace, or enhance neural systems. Neural engineers are uniquely qualified to solve design problems at the interface of living neural tissue and non-living constructs.

Center for Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems is on the campus of the University of Southern California.

Bin He is a Chinese American biomedical engineering scientist. He is the Trustee Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, professor by courtesy in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor of Neuroscience Institute, and was the head of the department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior, he was Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair for Engineering in Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He previously served as the director of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine and the Center for Neuroengineering at the University of Minnesota. He was the Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering and serves as the editor in chief of IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering. He was the president of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBS) from 2009 to 2010 and chair of International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering from 2018 to 2021.

Neurosecurity has been defined as "a version of computer science security principles and methods applied to neural engineering", or more fully, as "the protection of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of neural devices from malicious parties with the goal of preserving the safety of a person’s neural mechanisms, neural computation, and free will". Simply put, Neurosecurity is, at least in principle, an antivirus and firewall for the mind. Neurosecurity also refers to the application of neuroscience to behavioral information security to better understand and improve users' security behaviors. Neurosecurity is a distinct concept from neuroethics; neurosecurity is effectively a way of enforcing a set of neuroethical principles for a neural device. Neurosecurity is also distinct from the application of neuroscience to national security, a topic that is addressed in Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense by Jonathan D. Moreno.

Thomas Louis Daniel is an American biologist, Joan and Richard Komen Endowed Chair of Biology at University of Washington, and leads the Daniel Lab. He was the interim director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering. Since 2006, he has served on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajesh P. N. Rao</span> Indian academic

Rajesh P. N. Rao is the Director of the NSF Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) and the Cherng Jia and Elizabeth Yun Hwang Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The Bernstein Network is a research network in the field of computational neuroscience; this field brings together experimental approaches in neurobiology with theoretical models and computer simulations. It unites different scientific disciplines, such as physics, biology, mathematics, medical science, psychology, computer science, engineering and philosophy in the endeavor to understand how the brain functions. The close combination of neurobiological experiments with theoretical models and computer simulations allows scientists of the Bernstein Network to pursue innovative approaches with regard to one of the most complex structures nature has created in the course of evolution: the natural brain.

A cortical implant is a subset of neuroprosthetics that is in direct connection with the cerebral cortex of the brain. By directly interfacing with different regions of the cortex, the cortical implant can provide stimulation to an immediate area and provide different benefits, depending on its design and placement. A typical cortical implant is an implantable microelectrode array, which is a small device through which a neural signal can be received or transmitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen H. Scott</span> Canadian neuroscientist and engineer (born 1964)

Stephen Harold Scott is a Canadian neuroscientist and engineer who has made significant contributions to the field of sensorimotor neuroscience and the methods of assessing neurological function. He is a professor in both the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and the Department of Medicine at Queen's University. In 2013, he was named the GlaxoSmithKline-Canadian Institutes of Health Research (GSK-CIHR) Chair in Neurosciences at Queen's. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Kinarm, the technology transfer company that commercializes and manufactures his invention the Kinarm.

Neuroplastic or neuroplastic and reconstructive surgery is the surgical specialty involved in reconstruction or restoration of patients who undergo surgery of the central or peripheral nervous system. The field includes a wide variety of surgical procedures that seek to restore or replace a patient's skull, face, scalp, dura, the spine and/or its overlying tissues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krishna Shenoy</span> American neuroscientist

Krishna Vaughn Shenoy (1968–2023) was an American neuroscientist and neuroengineer at Stanford University. Shenoy was the Hong Seh and Vivian W. M. Lim Professor in the Stanford University School of Engineering. He focused on neuroscience topics, including neurotechnology such as brain-computer interfaces. On 21 January 2023, he died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. According to Google Scholar, he amassed an h-index of 79.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grégoire Courtine</span> French neuroscientist

Grégoire Courtine is a French neuroscientist and a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he is the co-director of the Defitech center for interventional neurotherapies (NeuroRestore). His research focuses on the field of neurotechnology, with the aim to restore locomotor functions in patients with central nervous system disorders such as spinal cord injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eberhard Fetz</span> American neuroscientist, academic and researcher

Eberhard Erich Fetz is an American neuroscientist, academic and researcher. He is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics and DXARTS at the University of Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chet Moritz</span> American neural engineer

Chet T. Moritz is an American neural engineer, neuroscientist, physiologist, and academic researcher. He is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and holds joint appointments in the School of Medicine departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, and Physiology & Biophysics at the University of Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duygu Kuzum</span> Electrical engineer and academic

Duygu Kuzum is a Turkish-American electrical engineer who is a professor at the University of California, San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering. She develops transparent neural sensors based on single-layer materials. She was awarded a National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award in 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "Award Abstract #1028725". National Science Foundation. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  2. "Vision and Mission". NSF ERC/NSE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  3. "People". NSF ERC/NSE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  4. "UW-based center updates name to highlight role of 'neurotechnologies' in healing the brain and spinal cord". UW News. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  5. "CSNE Thrusts". NSF ERC/SNE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  6. "Thrust 1: Communication and Interface". NSF ERC/SNE. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  7. "Thrust 2: Computational Neuroscience". NSF ERC/SNE. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  8. "Thrust 3: Neuroethics". NSF ERC/SNE. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  9. "CSNE Education". NSF ERC/SNE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Undergraduate Programs". NSF ERC/SNE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Graduate Programs". NSF ERC/SNE. Retrieved September 14, 2014.

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