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"Programming" the Brain

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Overview

We are developing next-generation brain computer interfaces that:

  1. Record large, high-density, brain cell populations and further our understanding of how the brain encodes information at the cellular level, known as the neural code.
  2. Mimic the neural code by selectively stimulating individual brain cells to remedy various medical conditions such as blindness, epilepsy, and mental disorders.

Programming the brain is the intersection of neuroscience, electrophysiology and biophysics for cell-specific stimulation, algorithm design for emulating the neural code, and hardware-software co-design for a full BCI system. Currently, all work is in collaboration with the Stanford Artificial Retina Project spear-headed by the Chichilnisky Lab, focused on creating an electronic retinal implant for vision restoration.  

Related Publications

Journal publications 

  1. S. Madugula, R. Vilkhu, N. Shah, L. Grosberg, A. Kling, A. Gogliettino, H. Nguyen, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A. Litke, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Inference of Electrical Stimulation Sensitivity from Recorded Activity of Primate Retinal Ganglion Cells," Journal of Neuroscience, June 2023.
  2. A. Gogliettino, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, R. Vilkhu, J. Brown, H. Nguyen, A. Kling, P. Hottowy, W. Dabrowski, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, E.J. Chichilnisky, "High-fidelity reproduction of visual signals by electrical stimulation in the central primate retina," Journal of Neuroscience, June 2023. [Won the 3rd Place Sammy Kuo Award in Neuroscience, Stanford University]
  3. R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, A. Gogliettino, P. Hottowy, W. Dabrowski, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Spatially patterned bi-electrode epiretinal stimulation for axon avoidance at cellular resolution," Journal of Neural Engineering, November 2021.
  4. L. Grosberg, K. Ganesan, G. Goetz, S. Madugula, N. Bhaskhar, V. Fan, P. Li, P. Hottowy, W. Dabrowski, A. Sher, A. Litke, S. Mitra and E.J. Chichilnisky, “Activation of Ganglion Cells and Axon Bundles using Epiretinal Electrical Stimulation,” Journal of Neurophysiology, 2017. [Selected for APSselect]

Conference publications

  1. R. Vilkhu, P. Vasireddy, A. Gogliettino, P. Hottowy, W. Dabrowski, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Biophysical model of retinal responses to multi-electrode stimulation," The Eye and The Chip, Research Congress, October 2023. Poster. [Won First Place Poster Award]
  2. P. Vasireddy, A. Gogliettino, J. Brown, R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, A.J. Phillips, S. Mitra, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, N. Shah, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Targeted Multielectrode Stimulation of Retinal Ganglion Cells for Enhancing the Selectivity of Epiretinal Implants," The Eye and The Chip, Research Congress, October 2023. [Podium Talk]
  3. A. Lotlikar, N. Shah, A. Gogliettino, R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, E.J. Chichilnisky, S. Mitra, "Partitioned Temporal Dithering for Efficient Epiretinal Electrical Stimulation," The Eye and The Chip, Research Congress, October 2023. Poster.
  4. A. Lotlikar, N. Shah, A. Gogliettino, R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, E.J. Chichilnisky, S. Mitra, "Partitioned Temporal Dithering for Efficient Epiretinal Electrical Stimulation," IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, April 2023.
  5. P. Vasireddy, A. Gogliettino, J. Brown, R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, A.J. Phillips, S. Mitra, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, N. Shah, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Efficient Modeling and Calibration of Multi-Electrode Stimuli for Epiretinal Implants," IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, April 2023. [Podium Talk]
  6. R. Vilkhu, P. Vasireddy, A. Gogliettino, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Biophysical model of retinal responses to multi-electrode stimulation," IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, April 2023. Poster.
  7. R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Bi-electrode Epiretinal Stimulation at Cellular Resolution for Axon Avoidance," The Eye and The Chip, Research Congress, October 2021. Poster. [Won Second Place Poster Award]  
  8. R. Vilkhu, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra, E.J. Chichilnisky, "Bi-electrode Epiretinal Stimulation at Cellular Resolution for Axon Avoidance," IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, April 2021. Poster. [Won Best Poster Award; IEEE NER Gold Award Sponsored by Elsevier] 
  9. D. Muratore, P. Tandon, M. Wootters, E.J. Chichilnisky, S. Mitra and B. Murmann, “A Data-Compressive Wired-OR Readout for Massively Parallel Neural Recording,” IEEE Trans. Biomedical Circuits and SystemsSpecial Issue on IEEE Intl. Symp. Circuits and Systems, June 2019.
  10. N.P. Shah, S. Madugula, L. Grosberg, G. Mena, P. Tandon, P. Hottowy, A. Sher, A.M. Litke, S. Mitra and E.J. Chichilnisky, “Optimization of Electrical Stimulation for a High-Fidelity Artificial Retina,” IEEE EMBS Conf. Neural Engineering, San Francisco, CA, March 2019.

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