Christopher J. Rozell, PhD
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Title: Closing the Loop Between Mind and Machine: Building Algorithms to Interface with Brains at Multiple Scales
Abstract: New technologies are rapidly developing for interfacing with the brain across multiple scales including cells, circuits, networks and systems. While there has been much discussion about the emerging “big data” problems that will arise from high-resolution measurement technologies, there are a number of other new data science challenges also emerging. In particular, now more than ever, we have the ability and desire to build closed-loop systems that are a combination of biology and technology working together in real time for scientific discovery and clinical therapies. Innovations in interfacing technology require parallel advances in algorithmic technology to determine what to do with these new tools to maximize their effectiveness. These system require data science approaches that operate online, are designed for closed-loop processing in real-time, are robust to the reality of “small data” in many applications, and are fully informed about both the biology and modern neurotechnology being used at the interface. In this talk we will survey recent examples of data science problems we are working on as we build closed-loop interfacing systems for the brain in health and disease. These problems will span scales from single-cell electrophysiology up to novel brain-machine interfaces for controlling complex systems.MIDAS gratefully acknowledges Northrop Grumman Corporation for its generous support of the MIDAS Seminar Series.
