Recent advances in neural technologies and artificial intelligence have created unprecedented opportunities to record the neural activities in the brain with extremely high temporal and spatial resolution. We aim to develop an end-to-end platform to design, test and deploy intelligent closed-loop neuromodulation systems that automatically learn the optimal neuromodulation control policies based on specific biomarkers or behavioral outcomes.
As healthcare researchers come from a variety of backgrounds, the learning curve associated with advanced computing can be prohibitive. Our group is developing a flexible, user-friendly platform that caters to the needs of individual users by enabling them to easily create data analysis pipelines using algorithms from multiple programming languages and integrate existing desktop, on-premise, and cloud-based computing infrastructures into their research.
Memory impairment is one of the most devastating symptoms and one of the major comorbidities in a wide spectrum of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and schizophrenia. We design intelligent neuromodulation systems to investigate the causal link between modulating the neurophysiological biomarkers of memory and the subsequent behavioral outcome.
Epilepsy in a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that affects approximately 1% of the American population. Unfortunately, around 40% of patients with epilepsy cannot be adequately treated with medication. We are conducting research involving the application of computerized neuromodulation in virtual simulations of epileptic brains, and we are nearing the start of a series of non-human primate tests in which we will develop a variety of methods to optimize neuromodulation.
Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 2–3% of the population ≥65 years of age. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has become a standard treatment for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, to ameliorate patient motor symptoms when medications are insufficient. Our group is working to develop an automated, patient-specific framework for optimization of DBS parameters.