Neural Modulation

Our lab explores electrical neuromodulation: a collection of therapies in which electrical stimulation modulates neural tissue activity to alleviate neurological symptoms. While some of these therapies are performed non-invasively, others require chronic implantation of an electrical stimulator -- over a million people are living with embedded electric circuits that regularly stimulate their brain or spinal cord! Though these interventions work quite well in some patients, clinicians and scientists have a very incomplete picture of how or in whom they will alleviate symptoms. We aim to improve and expand these therapies by identifying optimal anatomical targets, understanding their behavioral and physiological responses, leveraging neural feedback to assess their efficacy, and building devices to make neuromodulation less invasive and more therapeutic for a wider range of neurological conditions.

Our lab sits at the intersection of basic neuroscience and neuroengineering. Through experimental, clinical, and computational work, we aim to decode brain signals, and to interpret the differences beween neural information processing between default and disordered conditions. We seek to leverage this understanding to develop devices and approaches to modulate neural activity to treat neurological disorders.