David Hall
David Hall
Biomedical Engineering
david.hall@ufl.edu | LinkedIn
Magnetic Nanoparticle Stimulation
David Hall
Biomedical Engineering
david.hall@ufl.edu | LinkedIn
Magnetic Nanoparticle Stimulation
Hunter Hakimian
Biomedical Engineering
hakimianh13@ufl.edu
Neural interfaces and neural stimulation
Savannah Dewberry
Ph.D. student
Biomedical Engineering
ls.dewberry@ufl.edu
Neurostimulation and chronic pain
Ian Malone
Ph.D. student
Electrical Engineering
malonei@ufl.edu
LinkedIn Profile
Spinal cord interfaces and machine learning
Morgan Urdaneta
Ph.D. student
Interdisciplinary Science with specialization in Neuroscience
morgan.urdaneta@ufl.edu
Neural Interfaces and Neurostimulation
Elliott Dirr
Ph.D. student
Biomedical Engineering
edirr@ufl.edu
LinkedIn Profile
Neural interfaces and neural stimulation
Jamie Murbach
Ph.D. Student
Materials Science and Engineering
jam8744@ufl.edu
Neural interfaces and drug delivery
Seth Currlin
Ph.D. student
Interdisciplinary Science with specialization in Neuroscience
scurrlin@ufl.edu
Neural implants and neural stimulation
Dr. Janak Gaire
Post-Doc
Neuroscience
jgaire@ufl.edu
Tissue-device interfaces and neural implants
[expand title=”Read more”] Janak completed his B.S. in Biology, with a minor in chemistry from the University of North Texas in 2010. For a year, he worked with Dr. Guenter W. Gross at Center for Network Neuroscience to develop ways to increase the durability of microelectrode array plate. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in Department of Neuroscience at University of Florida (UF). Before transferring to UF in August 2014, he joined the Neuroprostheses Research Laboratory at Purdue University in summer of 2012. He is interested in improving the functional longevity of the implanted devices and currently working on evaluating tissue response to brain-implanted devices.
Research Abstract:
Intracortical microelectrode devices provide a brain machine interface capable of targeting very small populations of neurons with a potential to treat many neurological disorders. These penetrating devices generally perform well for a short duration but fail to record or stimulate reliably for chronic time putatively due to reactive tissue response (RTR). The loss of chronic functional reliability is a major hurdle for successful clinical implementation. I am interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying device failure. My research focuses on employing novel techniques and models to investigate biological mechanisms underlying device failure. I have been involved in developing novel imaging techniques (both in situ and in vivo imaging techniques) and mouse models to evaluate biological changes surrounding the implanted devices.
Download Janak Gaire’s Curriculum Vitae
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Matthew McDermott
Ph.D. student
Biomedical Engineering
m.mcdermott1984@ufl.edu
Drug delivery, and brain-machine interfaces
[expand title=”Read more”] Matthew completed his B.S. in Chemistry at Purdue University in 2007, while also receiving a minor in Biology. He worked for two years at Akina Inc. where he developed homologous PLGA micro and nano particles for the use in sustained release drug therapies. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University, in the Biological Sciences Doctoral Track through the Biomedical Engineering Department. He joined the NPR Lab in the fall of 2010 researching polymer coatings and drug delivery across the brain machine interface.
Research Abstract:
After implantation of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) into the brain, the foreign body response (FBR) is activated, ultimately leading to microglial activation, astrocyte migration, and inflammation. This response is expected to have an effect upon device performance, decreasing signal to noise and increasing impedance. Research in the field has been conducted to mitigate this response, either by drug delivery or altering the MEA brain interface. For these methods to work, drug release must be controlled, without “burst release”, and the coating must not drastically increase the device footprint. Tetramethyl orthosilicate shows promise in that regard. Deposition of TMOS does not negatively MEA performance1,2 and has been shown capable of controlled release2. However, the functionality of this polymer to mitigate the FBR depends on the ability to tune drug delivery without increasing the device footprint. In this study, novel coating paradigms were used to ascertain the ability of TMOS for tunable delivery, and the effect of these multiple coatings upon device footprint.
Heui Chang (Hugh) Lee
Post-Doc
Biomedical Engineering
hclee83@ufl.edu
Neural implants, tissue-device interfaces, and neurostimulation
[expand title=”Read more”] Hugh received a BS in Hanyang University and M.S. in Seoul National University, both in electrical engineering. While he was working at KIST in Man-Machine Interface lab for one and a half year, he developed his interest in neural engineering and decided to continue study in biomedical engineering. Currently, he is a PhD student in biomedical engineering at Purdue University. He joined Neuroprostheses Research Lab in 2012 and conducted researchin electrophysiology recording via neural implants and the mechanism of its failure.
Research Abstract:
The long-term performance of brain implanted microelectrode arrays is hampered by a series of inflammatory tissue responses. The consequence of the tissue reaction is formation of glial scar and permeabilizing blood-brain barrier (BBB) around the vicinity of the electrode, causing neuronal degeneration and impeding the electrical signal conduction. My study aims to investigate mechanical intervention strategies to mitigate the effect of tissue response and prolong the lifetime of electrodes. In particular, I am looking at novel site geometry and mechanically compliant material under recording and microstimulation conditions.
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Dr. Kevin J. Otto
Professor and Dane A. Miller Head of Biomedical Engineering
kotto@purdue.edu
LinkedIn, Twitter (@OttoKev)
ORCID iD
Neural engineering, device-tissue interfaces and neurostimulation