NeuroMechatronics Lab

The NeuroMechatronics lab is home to an inclusive and multidisciplinary community of neuroscientists and engineers. We work collaboratively to understand the neurophysiology of sensory and motor systems in the body. We strive to invent new strategies and devices that will allow us to transform the treatment of neurological disorders. Our research spans the full spectrum from fundamental to applied research and we leverage an expansive network of academic and industry partners to tackle important problems aggressively and at scale. Throughout it all, we focus on the neuroethical underpinnings and wider societal implications of our neurotechnology.

Faculty

Doug Weber

Doug Weber

Akhtar and Bhutta Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Doug Weber is broadly interested in understanding the role of sensory feedback in supporting and regulating a wide range of perceptual, motor, cognitive, and autonomic functions. His research combines fundamental neuroscience and engineering research to understand physiological mechanisms underlying sensory perception, feedback control of movement, and neuroplasticity in sensorimotor systems. Knowledge gained from these studies is being applied to invent new technologies and therapies for enhancing sensory and motor functions after stroke, spinal cord injury, or limb loss. These principles are also being applied to develop wearable devices for enhancing sensory, motor, and cognitive functions in healthy humans. He is committed to transitioning outputs of his academic research into practical technologies that support real-world applications, and he works actively with industrial partners to bridge the gap from bench to market.

Publications

Linkedin

Office
1323 Wean Hall
Email
dougweber@cmu.edu
Google Scholar
Doug Weber

Darcy Griffin

Darcy M. Griffin

Research Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University

Darcy Griffin is interested in how the brain controls skilled voluntary movements. Her focus is on signaling through the corticomotoneuronal system. She uses computational and behavioral tools to investigate how input from the motor nuclei of the thalamus influence processing in the motor cortex and the descending motor command.

Publications

Linkedin

Office
1323 Wean Hall
Email
darcyg@andrew.cmu.edu
Google Scholar
Darcy M. Griffin

Research video

Projects

Research Team

Devapratim Sarma

Devapratim Sarma

Post-Doctorate

Research interests
Bioelectronic Medicine, Neuroprosthetics, Brain Machine Interfaces, Sensorimotor Integration, Neurorehabilitation, Haptic Perception
Email
dsarma@andrew.cmu.edu
Max Murphy

Max Murphy

Post-Doctorate

Research interests
Cortex, Bayesian Filter, Neurorehabilitation
Email
mdmurphy@andrew.cmu.edu
Alpaslan Ersöz

Alpaslan Ersöz

Post-Doctorate

Research interests
Design and validation of electronic systems to act as neurostimulators
Email
aersoz@adrew.cmu.edu
Ernesto Bedoy

Ernesto Bedoy

Post-Doctorate

Co-Advisor
George Wittenberg
Research interests
Sensorimotor impairment, neurorehabilitation, neuromodulation
Email
ebedoy@andrew.cmu.edu
Jordyn Ting

Jordyn Ting

Doctorate

Research interests
Neuromodulation, neuroprosthetics, dorsal root ganglion stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, pain
Email
jting@andrew.cmu.edu
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Omar El-Refy

Doctorate

Co-Advisor
Hartmut Geyer
Research interests
"Motor control and learning, Bipedal locomotion"
Email
refy@cmu.edu
Nikhil Verma

Nikhil Verma

Doctorate

Research interests
Neuroprosthetics, Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Brain-Computer Interfaces
Email
nikhilv@andrew.cmu.edu
Ariel Feldman

Ariel Feldman

Doctorate

Co-Advisor
Pulkit Grover
Research interests
Brain-Computer Interfaces, Neuromodulation, Information Representation, Machine Learning, Learning & Memory
Email
arielfeldman@cmu.edu
Jonathan Shulgach

Jonathan Shulgach

Doctorate

Research interests
Neuroprosthetics, Telerobotics, Machine Learning, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Sensorimotor Integration
Email
jshulgac@andrew.cmu.edu
Nikole Chetty

Nikole Chetty

Doctorate

Research interests
Brain-Computer Interfaces, Neuroprosthetics, Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience, Signal Processing
Email
nchetty@andrew.cmu.edu
Dailyn Despradel

Dailyn Despradel

Doctorate

Co-Advisor
Nancy Pollard
Research interests
Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality, Neuroprosthetics, Prosthetic training, Haptic Perspection, Motor Skill Learning
Email
ddesprad@andrew.cmu.edu
Ruitong (Larry) Jiang

Ruitong (Larry) Jiang

Doctorate

Research interests
Circadian Rhythm, Learning & Memory, EEG
Email
ruitongj@andrew.cmu.edu
Prakarsh Yadav

Prakarsh Yadav

Doctorate

Research interests
Spike sorting, Machine Learning, Neuroprosthetics
Email
pyadav@andrew.cmu.edu
Rawan Fakhreddine

Rawan Fakhreddine

Doctorate

Research interests
Brain-Computer Interfaces, Neurorehabilitation, Plastic Window, Motor Skill Learning
Email
ryf@andrew.cmu.edu
Luigi Borda

Luigi Borda

Doctorate

Research interests
Spinal cord stimulation, AI, EEG, neuroprosthetic, sensory feedback restoration
Email
lborda@andrew.cmu.edu
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Jehan Yang

Doctorate

Co-Advisor
Zackory Erickson
Research interests
Robotics, EMG, Machine Learning, Neuroprosthetics
Email
jehany@andrew.cmu.edu
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Kriti Kacker

Doctorate

Research interests
Brain-computer interfaces, Neuromodulation, Machine Learning, Signal Processing
Email
kkacker@andrew.cmu.edu
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Forrest Z Shooster

Doctorate

Research interests
Sensory neuroprosthetics, pain, thermoreception, thermoperception, rehabilitative serious games, DRGS, SCS, ICMS, micro & nanosystems, neuroelectronics design, haptic feedback systems
Email
fzs@andrew.cmu.edu
Sharon Park

Seo Jeong (Sharon) Park

Masters

Research interests
Brain-computer interfaces, neuroprosthetics, machine learning, neural engineering
Email
seojeonp@andrew.cmu.edu
Julian Low

Julian Low

Masters

Research interests
Neural engineering, neurostimulation, circadian rhythm, control systems
Email
julianl@andrew.cmu.edu
Jackie Hull

Jackie Hull

Research Associate

Research interests
Primatology, behavioral ecology, research anesthesia
Email
jacklynh@andrew.cmu.edu
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Jenn Shanahan

Research Associate

Email
jenns@andrew.cmu.edu
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Sharon John

Research Associate

Research interests
Neuro Chip Interface, Neural Regeneration, Machine Learning,Neural Engineering, Neurostimulation,
Email
sharonjo@andrew.cmu.edu

Alumni

  • Mehrdad Javidi (PostDoc)
  • Monica Liu (Doctorate)
  • Ashley Dalrymple (PostDoc)
  • Thomas Hyatt (Research Associate)
  • Rifeng Jin (Reseasrch Associate)
  • Jessica Kleinbart (Doctorate)
  • Ruiqi Zhang (Masters)

Course taught

Course Course Name Location Units Semester Offered
24-354 Special Topics: Gadgetry: Sensors, Actuators, and Processors Pittsburgh 9 Fall

Media Mentions

CMU Engineering

Boosting oxygenation for transplanted cell-based therapies

To advance cell-based therapies, researchers have identified a novel device that makes on-site oxygen for biological cells transplanted inside the body.

CMU Engineering

ARPA-H fast tracks development of new cancer implant tech

ARPA-H has awarded $45 million to a multi-institutional team of researchers to rapidly develop sense-and-respond implant technology that could slash U.S. cancer-related deaths.

Wired

Weber emphasizes importance of sensory feedback for prosthetic limbs

MechE’s Doug Weber discusses the future of bionic limbs and their ability to receive sensory feedback.

The New York Times

Weber discusses tech that restores movement for stroke patients

MechE’s Douglas Weber was mentioned in The New York Times for the research he and other researchers are working on which looks at restoring mobility in stroke patients.

CMU Engineering

New hope for people living with paralysis after stroke

Spinal cord stimulation technology developed by Douglas Weber in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh offers new hope for people living with impairments that would otherwise be considered permanent.

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering neurotechnology for paralysis after stroke

CMU and Pitt collaborators will develop and test an implantable system to electrically stimulates the spinal cord of stroke survivors to reduce arm and hand motor impairment.

Psychology Today

Weber featured on first human brain implant

MechE’s Doug Weber is among the team monitoring the first human implant of a brain-computer interface (BCI). The BCI was implanted at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. The goal of the trial is to evaluate safety and efficacy in helping patients with ALS.

Bloomberg

Weber’s NIH trial covered

MechE’s Douglas Weber was referenced in Bloomberg after an NIH-funded trial that he is leading with David Putrino of Mount Sinai placed a stentrode implant in its first patient.

CMU Engineering

Sensing signals in paralyzed muscles

Doug Weber and an international team of researchers detected electrical signals in paralyzed muscles, which could be used to control robotic assistive devices.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Weber study on brain implant featured

MechE’s Doug Weber recently had his research study on a brain implant that will allow paralyzed people to use a computer with their thoughts was featured in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Mechanical Engineering

Bridging campuses, increasing opportunities in STEM

CMU and Pitt will offer a joint MS-to-PhD program focused on AI, robotics, and neural engineering to increase the participation of underrepresented students in science and engineering.

FierceBiotech

CMU and collaborators awarded NIH grant

In collaboration with CMU, UPMC, and the Mount Sinai Health System, Synchron received a $10 million National Institutes of Health grant to begin a trial of their brain-computer interface, reports FierceBiotech, BioSpace, Medical Device Network, and Mobi Health News.