Join us for the 2025 Symposium on Neurotechnology on Monday, February 24th, at the Neuroscience Research Building. The event will take place from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with registration opening at 8:30 AM. No pre-registration is required to attend.
Each speaker will deliver a 15-minute presentation, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. See the full schedule below. We look forward to seeing you there!
9:00: Opening Remarks and Introduction to the Translational Technology Training Program
Session I – Neural Dynamics & Computational Modeling
Chair: Mario Dipoppa
9:05: Alex Huk (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA) “Neural Dynamics”
9:25: David Clewett (Psychology, UCLA) “Locus Coeruleus Activation ‘Resets’ Hippocampal Event Representations and Separates Adjacent Memories”
9:45: Paul Mathews (Neurology, UCLA) “Uncovering Brain Network Dynamics Involved in Behavioral Flexibility Using Functional Ultrasound Imaging (fUSI)”
Break 10:05-10:15
Session II – Technology
Chair: Anne Andrews
10:15: Maryam Shanechi (Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science, USC) “AI-Based Neurotechnologies”
10:35: Xuanbing Cheng (Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCLA) “Ubiquitous Bioelectronics: Personalizing Medicine for Everyone”
10:55: Jonathan Kao (Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCLA) “Brain Machine Interface Control With Artificial Intelligence Copilots”
Break 11:15-11:30
Data/Idea Blitz 11:30-12:05
Samuel Vander Dussen (Graduate Student, co-advised by Dr. Neil Harris, Neurosurgery, UCLA, and Dr. Paul Mathews, Neurology, UCLA) “Functional Ultrasound, Networks, and TBI”
Ebrahim Feghhi (Graduate Student, advised by Dr. Jonathan Kao, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCLA) “Illusions of Alignment Between Large Language Models and Brains Emerge From Fragile Methods and Overlooked Confounds”
Alice Hsu (Postdoctoral Scholar, advised by Dr. Kevin Bickart, Neurology, UCLA) “Using At-Home Measurements of Sleep, Activity, and Autonomics From Wearable Devices To Predict In-Lab Measures of Physiological Recovery From Concussion”
Lei Ma (Postdoctoral Scholar, advised by Dr. Katy Cross, Neurology, UCLA) “Detecting Subcortical Neural Dynamics During Obstacle Navigation in Parkinson’s Disease”
Fleming Peck (Graduate Student, advised by Dr. Jesse Rissman, Psychology, UCLA) “Context-Dependent Statistical Learning: Bridging Human Cognition and Neural Network Dynamics”
Jihye Ryu (Postdoctoral Scholar, advised by Dr. Ausaf Bari, Neurosurgery, UCLA) “Neural Dynamics of Impulsivity in Limbic Structures: Insights from Intracranial Recordings During Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART)”
Norman Spivak (Graduate Student, advised by Dr. Martin Monti, Psychology and Neurosurgery, UCLA) “Evaluating Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (tFUS) for Targeted Neuromodulation in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Double-Blind Feasibility Study”
Lunch: 12:05-1:30
Session III – Disease States & Clinical Applications
Chair: Sandra Holley
1:30: Anthony Wang (Pediatric and Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, UCLA) “Alternative Splice Variant-Derived Neoantigen-Targeted Immunotherapy in Diffuse Hemispheric H3 G34-Mutant Glioma”
1:50: Ausaf Bari (Neurosurgery, UCLA) “Deep Brain Stimulation of Affective Circuits for Chronic Pain”
2:10: Soraya Dunn (Neurosurgery, UCLA) “Decoding Memory With Transformer Models: Toward Targeted Brain Stimulation for Specific Memories”
2:30 Closing Remarks