Chen Distinguished Visitor Series - Raj Rao from University of Washington
As part of the Chen Distinguished Visitor Series, Raj Rao from University of Washington will be giving two talks, one on November 19 and one on November 20. His second talk, Bidirectional Brain-Computer Interfaces for Restoration and Augmentation of Brain Function, will take place on Tuesday, November 20 at 2pm in BBB B180.
Abstract: The field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) has traditionally focused on controlling prosthetic devices by decoding neural signals recorded from the brain. A more powerful approach is to combine neural decoding with encoding of information in bi-directional BCIs (BBCIs) that can simultaneously record and stimulate neural tissue. In this talk, I will review recent progress at the Center for Neurotechnology in using such BBCIs for applications ranging from generating a sensation of touch for closed-loop control to engineering neuroplasticity in the cortex and spinal cord for targeted rehabilitation. I will also describe our recent proof-of-concept demonstrations of BBCIs for brain-to-brain interactions in humans, and conclude by discussing the ethical issues surrounding the use of BBCIs for restoration versus augmentation of brain function.