FROM MACHINE-BRAIN INTERFACES (MBI) TO NEUROROBOTICS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

 Dr. Ajiboye’s main research interest is in the development and control of brain-computer-interface (BCI) neuroprosthetic technologies for restoring function to individuals who have experienced debilitating injuries to the nervous system, such as spinal cord injury and stroke. Currently, he is interested in understanding the relationships between the firing patterns of multi-neuronal networks and the kinetic and kinematic  outputs of these neural systems in the control of upper limb movements.

Dr. Bouton’s work has been featured on 60 Minutes and TEDx, and he holds over 70 patents worldwide. He has been awarded two R&D 100 Awards and was recognized by the US Congress for his work in the medical device field. He has been named Inventor of the Year and Distinguished Inventor by Battelle, and was selected by the National Academy of Engineering in 2011 to attend the Frontiers in Engineering Symposium.

Dr.  Gordon Cheng has made pioneering contributions in Humanoid Robotics, Neuroengineering, Artificial Intelligence for the past 20 years. Since 2010, Gordon Cheng has been holding the Chair for Cognitive Systems, which he also founded. The Chair for Cognitive Systems is part of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich/Germany. 

Dr. Chestek’s research focuses on brain machine interface (BMI) systems using 100 channel arrays implanted in motor and pre-motor cortex. The goal of this research is to eventually develop clinically viable systems to enable paralyzed individuals to control prosthetic limbs, as well as their own limbs using functional electrical stimulation and assistive exoskeletons.  

Dr. Makin's main interest is in understanding the key drivers and limitations of reorganisation in the adult brain. Her primary model for this work is studying individuals with a hand loss. A particular focus is on how habitual behaviour, such as prosthesis usage, shapes brain reorganisation. For this purpose, Dr. Makin's work integrates methods from the fields of neuroscience, experimental psychology and rehabilitation. 

Dr. Ortiz Catalan's research focuses on bionics and due to sensorimotor impairment. This involves neural engineering, osseointegrated implants, neuromuscular interfaces, neurostimulation, bio-electric signals acquisition and processing, and machine learning for the decoding of motor volition. He is also interested in neuromuscular rehabilitation and the study and treatment of neuropathic pain due to sensorimotor impairment.  

Dr. Raspopovic' main interest is focused on the development of innovative devices for treatment of neurologically disabled persons. In particular he develops mechatronic systems directly interfacing the environment with the residual nervous system, based on the exact hybrid computational modelling.  Dr. Raspopovic is the 2021 grand prize winner of the Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation.

 Dr. Shanechi works at the interface of machine learning, statistical inference and signal processing, and control to develop algorithmic solutions for basic and clinical neuroscience problems. Some applications of interest include developing closed-loop brain-machine interfaces (BMI) for motor function and for deep brain stimulation to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. Her work combines methodology development with in vivo implementation and testing.
 

 Dr. Tyler is the Kent H. Smith Professor II in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and Director of the Human Fusions Initiative. He is an expert in the science and technology of directly communicating with the human nervous system to create a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology. He has a secondary appointment as a principal investigator at the Louis-Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center (LSCDVAMC).  

Dr. Contreras-Vidal's research focuses on 1) Reverse engineering the brain through computational studies; 2) Designing non-invasive brain-machine interface to robotic systems for rehabilitation, enhancement or repair of the motor system after injury, neurological insults, or advanced aging; 3) Utilizing neural interfaces as tools for reverse-translational studies of brain plasticity and brain-machine interaction/confluence; and 4) Developing bio-robotics and powered wearable exoskeletons.

Dr. Vitale is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation  at the University of Pennsylvania.  Her research interests focus on flexible bioelectronic materials and devices for high-resolution, minimally invasive neural recording and stimulation.  Dr. Vitale has authored more than 15 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications and is a co-inventor on six patent applications. 

 Dr. Emily Graczyk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and an Investigator in the Advanced Platform Technology Center at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. Dr. Graczyk’s research examines the coding and processing of somatosensory information and the perceptual and psychological experience of artificial sensation created by neurotechnology.  

Dr. Osborn is a Senior Professional Research staff at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. His research area is in neuroengineering and applied neuroscience, which includes tactile sensing and feedback for sensory augmentation with  focus on restoring sensation for rehabilitation. 

Hunter Schone is a neuroscientist passionate about harnessing our understanding of the human body to promote successful human-machine interactions. By studying changes in the brain (fMRI) and behavior, his work examines the link between skill acquisition and brain plasticity. The ultimate goal being to help develop the next generation of human-centered technology. Hunter's research interests are at the crossroads of neuroscience, technology, and rehabilitation.

  Dr. Tessy Thomas is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her research investigates the neural correlates of upper-limb motor control and speech motor functions, with a focus on developing brain-machine interfaces to restore these functions to paralyzed individuals. 

Dr. Thakor is a professor of biomedical engineering and neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also has an appointment in the Johns Hopkins Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He conducts research on neurological instrumentation, biomedical signal processing, micro and nanotechnologies, neural prosthesis, clinical applications of neural and rehabilitation technologies, and brain-machine interface. 

Dr. Dragomir is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore. His research interests include sensory perception ranging from tactile and pain perception to olfaction. Further interests include cognitive assessment in neuroergonomics and brain-machine interaction. To investigate these, he uses neuroimaging techniques (EEG, fMRI) and develops tools for modeling and analyzing brain data based on network science and machine learning.