Research

Always expanding in new directions, the Initiative's interdisciplinary work incorporates the areas of engineering, neuroscience, signal processing, biosciences, and nanotechnology to explore neural function and interactions with the brain.

Stained Neurons

Neural Regeneration & Repair

New technologies and the study of model organisms, to explore tissue repair in humans

What if it were possible to design technologies that could regenerate damaged tissues in the body? We are developing new devices and studying model animals that can regrow parts of their bodies in ways that humans can’t, and devising systems and technologies that together will inform potential treatments for neural regeneration and repair.

Wireless nerve stimulator

Neural Sensing and Actuation

Microscopes the size of a single silicon chip, ultra-flexible nerve implants, magnetic fields in place of wires

Rice Neuroengineers research how bioelectric, magnetic, ultrasonic, and/or chemical structures can be utilized to power devices that can create an interface for sending and receiving signal data that enables accurate measurement and manipulation of activity in the nervous system.

Markov Model

Data-driven Discovery of Neural Circuits & Behavior

Learning and making predictions from the data we collect

The data our devices generate has tremendous potential beyond its face value; we process it to test and discover new algorithms and theories that take us further into our understanding of the brain and inform new experiments.

Sleeping Cap

Closed-Loop Neuroscience & Neurotechnology

Designing systems for sensing and controlling neural circuits

Using an array of cutting edge devices and innovative materials, Rice NEI is working at the forefront in the development of control systems that can drive desired behaviors in the brain to teach us about neural function; the learnings are applied to development of improved therapies and new therapeutic devices.