I work to develop implanted Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) that will restore independence and capability to people with high-level paralysis or amputation. After placing electrodes in their brain, the BCI measures neural activity as they attempt to move their disabled hand and arm, using it to move a robotic prosthetic hand and arm instead. Once the prosthetic hand touches an object, the BCI provides electrical stimulation back into the brain, so they feel as though they are touching the object with their own hand. This provides them with natural, intuitive control over a prosthetic hand and arm while restoring their ability to feel and manipulate objects.
My research program is focused on sensorimotor neuroscience and neuroengineering related to hand and arm control. I work to better understand how motor cortex controls functional hand and arm movements in increasingly natural situations, with the goal of improving BCI prosthetics.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Ph.D. - Bioengineering
2017
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
BS - Biomedical Engineering
2010
Long-term safety and efficacy of intracortical microstimulation in humans.
Long-term safety and efficacy of intracortical microstimulation in humans. Sci Transl Med. 2026 Jul 15; 18(858):eaec3728.
PMID: 42455900
A mosaic of whole-body representations on the human precentral gyrus.
A mosaic of whole-body representations on the human precentral gyrus. Nature. 2026 Aug; 656(8128):680-687.
PMID: 42310450
Limb state accounts for differences between motor imagery and action in motor cortex.
Limb state accounts for differences between motor imagery and action in motor cortex. medRxiv. 2026 Mar 16.
PMID: 41891008
Finding the groove in neural space.
Finding the groove in neural space. medRxiv. 2026 Feb 27.
PMID: 41810378
Closed-loop error damping in human BCI using pre-error motor cortex activity.
Closed-loop error damping in human BCI using pre-error motor cortex activity. bioRxiv. 2026 Feb 26.
PMID: 42124661
Expectation Of Tactile Signals In Human Motor Cortex.
Expectation Of Tactile Signals In Human Motor Cortex. medRxiv. 2025 Oct 02.
PMID: 41256132
Intracortical microstimulation in humans: a decade of safety and efficacy.
Intracortical microstimulation in humans: a decade of safety and efficacy. medRxiv. 2025 Aug 13.
PMID: 40832410
Firing rate diversity lowers the dimension of population covariability in neuronal networks.
Firing rate diversity lowers the dimension of population covariability in neuronal networks. bioRxiv. 2025 Jun 01.
PMID: 39257801
How different immersive environments affect intracortical brain computer interfaces.
How different immersive environments affect intracortical brain computer interfaces. J Neural Eng. 2025 Feb 10; 22(1).
PMID: 39883960
Tactile edges and motion via patterned microstimulation of the human somatosensory cortex.
Tactile edges and motion via patterned microstimulation of the human somatosensory cortex. Science. 2025 01 17; 387(6731):315-322.
PMID: 39818881