Brain implants can let paralysed people move again
Brain control for medical applications is rapidly becoming clinical reality.
My research uses electrophysiological techniques to study fundamental scientific questions about how the brain controls upper-limb movement. In addition I develop novel technologies to interface with the nervous system to restore motor function following injury or disease, including new electrodes, low-power electronics and improved signal processing techniques. Since 2009 I have led an independent research group at Newcastle University, UK, with support from the Wellcome Trust, EPSRC, MRC, Leverhulme Trust and NC3Rs. I am currently a Wellcome Trust Senior Reseach Fellow and I also lead the project CANDO, a major 7-year collaboration between over 30 neuroscientists, engineers and clinicians at Newcastle University, Imperial College London and University College London to develop a closed-loop optoelectronic implant for the control of epilepsy (www.cando.ac.uk).