Connecting to the brain with miniature magnetic and optical devices Jacob Robinson, PhD Associate Professor ECE and BioE, Rice University Tuesday: July 7, 2020 5:00 pm – Presentation / Discussion 7:00 pm – End (no later than) Location: Zoom teleconference

Abstract:

Technological advances in nanoscale materials and devices are allowing us to manipulate and measure brain activity with unprecedented precision leading to a deeper understanding of the brain and improved methods to treat brain disorders. In this talk, I will discuss how emerging nanotechnologies enable tiny distributed devices that can be implanted in the body to sense and actuate neural activity. Specifically, I will discuss how magnetoelectric materials enable efficient power and data transfer to millimeter-sized implants, and how computational techniques enable lensless optical imaging of brain activity. Together these technologies provide a platform for new bioelectronic interfaces to read and write neural activity with improved precision and reduced invasiveness.

“Magnetoelectric materials for miniature, wireless neural stimulation at therapeutic frequencies,” A. Singer, B. W. Avants, N. Verma, E. Lewis, J. C. Chen, A. K. Feldman, S. Dutta, J. Chu, J. O’Malley, M. Beierlein, C. Kemere, J. T. Robinson, Neuron, accepted (2020)

“Single-Frame 3D Fluorescence Microscopy with Ultra-Miniature Lensless FlatScope,” J. K. Adams, V. Boominathan, B. W. Avants, D. G. Vercosa, R. G. Baraniuk, J. T. Robinson, A. Veeraraghavan, Science Advances Vol. 3, e1701548 (2017).

Speaker Bio:

Jacob Robinson is an Associate Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at Rice University and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Robinson earned a B.S. in Physics from UCLA and a Ph. D. in Applied Physics from Cornell. Following his Ph. D., he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry Department at Harvard University. Dr. Robinson joined Rice University in 2012 where he currently works on nanoelectronic, nanophotonic, and nanomagnetic technologies to manipulate and measure brain activity. Dr. Robinson is currently a co-chair of the IEEE Brain Initiative, and the recipient of a Hammill Innovation Award, NSF NeuroNex Innovation Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, and Materials Today Rising Star Award.