ABOUT THE SEMINAR

Brain-Computer Interfaces for Human Gait Restoration 

Spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke can cause significant gait impairments, which profoundly degrade the independence and quality of life of those affected. A sedentary lifestyle associated with SCI and stroke also causes medical comorbidities, thereby significantly augmenting healthcare costs, which in the U.S. alone exceed $80 B/year. Currently, no biomedical solutions can reverse the loss of motor/sensory function after these conditions, and the best physiotherapies provide only limited recovery. Therefore, novel approaches to these conditions are in dire need. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which aim to bypass neurological lesions via neurotechnology, may be a promising approach to these conditions. In this presentation, I will discuss how BCIs can be used for either neuroprosthetic or neurorehabilitation purposes to address gait impairments after SCI or stroke. Most of our work has been in noninvasive electroencephalogram-based BCIs, but our recent studies have also explored the utility of invasive electrocorticogram-based BCIs.          

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Zoran Nenadic, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine

Zoran Nenadic received his D.Sc. degree in Systems Science & Mathematics from Washington University. After holding a postdoctoral scholar position at CalTech, he subsequently joined the BME Department at UC Irvine, where he is currently a Professor and William J. Link Department Chair. His research interests are in neuroengineering, with a focus on technologies to restore functions lost due to neurological injuries. He has received several research awards, including the CAREER Award from the NSF, the Hiruma-Wagner Award (Japan), and the Hai-Tian Scholarship (China). His research has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Time Magazine, Reuters, and Fox Business.

ABOUT THE BME SEMINAR SERIES

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University is proud to host an annual weekly seminar series on the latest developments and research in Biomedical Engineering. The weekly series takes place on Friday mornings at 11:00 AM Eastern and includes a variety of renowned academics from top universities to talk about their specific research and experience. This is a hybrid event.