Surjo R. Soekadar (Charité – University Medicine Berlin): Brain/Neural-Machine Interfaces for Assistance and Beyond

Thursday Morning Lectures

Abstract:

Implementation of neural control in the application of advanced robotic systems promises restoration of autonomy and quality of life in severe paralysis. Moreover, neurotechnologies that are capable of analyzing, interpreting and modulating brain activity in real-time promise to advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of human brain functions. But what are the current challenges and perspectives for brain-computer interfaces (BCI)? And how can neurotechnologies improve health and quality of life? This talk will provide an overview of the current state-of-art in clinical BCI applications and introduce the newest developments in the field. Besides sketching technological boundaries, also neuroethical dimension will be discussed.

Bio: Surjo R. Soekadar, MD, is Einstein Professor of Clinical Neurotechnology at the Charité – University Medicine Berlin. From 2009-2011, he was fellow at the Human Cortical Physiology and Stroke Neurorehabilititation Section (HCPS) at the NIH, USA. After his return to Germany, he became head of the Applied Neurotechnology Lab at the University Hospital of Tübingen, where he also served as senior consultant in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. His research interests include cortical plasticity in the context of brain/neural-machine interface (B/NMI) applications, non-invasive brain stimulation and neural mechanisms of learning and memory.