Jones Seminar: Modeling the ‘Language’ of the Brain—Soft 3D devices for basic neuroscience and neuroelectronic medicine

Enabled by foundational advances such as the patch-clamp technique and microelectrodes, the quest to understand the brain has made tremendous progress over the past five decades and is transforming the treatment of difficult neurological and sensory conditions.  

In this talk, I will present recent advances in neuroelectronics from my group, driven by innovations in materials and device engineering at the micro- and nanoscale. In particular, I will highlight neural interface technologies built on polymeric substrates, integrating research in materials science, electrical engineering, and neural engineering. These systems, aimed at significantly improving the ability to listen to and real-time translate the electrical and chemical ‘language’ of the brain, offer new opportunities for biocompatibility, scalability, and multimodal functionality. Looking forward, we envision that continued advances in materials-enabled neurotechnology will not only expand the frontiers of neuroscience research but also enable clinically translatable devices that redefine what is possible in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.

Hosted by Professor John Zhang.

About the Speaker(s)

Hui Fang
Associate Professor of Engineering, Dartmouth

Hui Fang is an associate professor of engineering and faculty director of the micro/nano-fabrication facility at Dartmouth. He received his BS degree from Tsinghua University and his MS and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, all in materials science and engineering. His research spans neuroelectronics, electronic materials, and semiconductor devices. Professor Fang's work has been recognized with numerous honors, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and Dartmouth Engineering’s Distinguished Research Award for Faculty. He serves as a standing member of the Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering for Neuroscience study section at the National Institutes of Health. He is also an inventor on multiple patents, founder of a neurotechnology company, and a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors.  

Contact

For more information, contact Amos Johnson at amos.l.johnson@dartmouth.edu .