Controlling and interfacing with the nervous system: A neural engineering approach
Featuring Dominique Durand, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
Friday, Jan. 13, 2-3 p.m.
Biodesign Auditorium | Reception to follow lecture
Abstract
Neural engineering has made significant advances recently both in the development of systems capable of selectively obtaining neural signals and controlling the nervous system, but also in providing new therapeutic modalities. Durand will discuss how it is possible to record neural activity from several fascicles within peripheral nerves to control an artificial limb. He will also discuss a new method to control seizure activity, starting from experiments to clinical implementation. Both examples of neural engineering projects are based on the application of the principles of bioelectricity at the interface between neuroscience and engineering.
Biosketch
Dominique Durand is the E.L. Lindseth Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Neural Engineering Center at Case Western Reserve University. After earning his M.S. degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Durand worked for several years at the Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
He received an NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award as well as the Diekhoff Award for graduate teaching, Carl F. Wittke Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching and the Mortar Board “Top Prof” award at Case Western Reserve University. Durand is an IEEE Fellow, Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering and Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
He serves on five editorial boards of peer-reviewed scientific journals and he is the editor-in-chief and founding editor of the Journal of Neural Engineering. His research interests in neural engineering include computational neuroscience, neurophysiology and control of epilepsy, nonlinear dynamics of neural systems, neural prostheses, and applied magnetic and electrical field interactions with neural tissue. He has obtained funding for his research from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. He has published over 100 articles and consulted for many biotechnology companies and foundations.
