Neuro X research

The Blanke lab studies the multisensory brain mechanisms of body perception (somatosensory, vestibular, motor and visual signals) in cortical networks. For this we apply paradigms from cognitive science, neuroscience, neuroimaging, robotics, virtual reality in healthy subjects and a large range of neurological, psychiatric and orthopedic patients. Our main goal is to understand the brain mechanisms involved in multisensory own body perception in order to develop a neurobiological model of self-consciousness.

Concerning technology development, we have pioneered the use of digital technologies such as virtual and augmented reality in neuroscience and also introduced engineering techniques such as robotics and haptics to human neuroscience of multisensory perception, consciousness and cognition, by fully integrating them with behavioral and neuroscience technologies, including MRI-compatible robotics.

Finally, work in cognitive neuroprosthetics exploits these neuroscientific insights and the technological expertise (robotics, haptics, virtual reality, and augmented reality) to develop novel diagnostics and also therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic pain, paraplegia, and limb amputation as well as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

Keywords: body perception, self-consciousness, neurodegenerative diseases, virtual reality, haptics, fMRI

Our mission is to conceive and deploy innovative interventions to restore motor functions after central nervous system disorders, especially spinal cord injury, and to translate our findings into clinical applications capable of improving the quality of life for people with motor impairments.

We are developing neuroprosthetic systems, robotic interfaces and advanced neurorehabilitation procedures that we combine with neuroregenerative interventions in rodent and primate models of neurological disorders. Using genetically modified mice, optogenetics, viral tools and whole brain imaging, we seek to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying the control of locomotion in intact animals, as well as the processes that reestablish motor functions after neuromotor disorders. We are also performing clinical studies to test the efficacy of our interventions in human patients.

Keywords: spinal cord injury, neurosurgery, neurotechnology, brain-computer-interface

Rehabilitation and motor learning are the main driving topics of REHAssist. This mainly concerns the following research areas:

• Development of devices to assist locomotion and for rehabilitation
• Control strategies for assistance, mobilization, and management of balance
• Closed loop functional electrostimulation (FES) and sensory substitution
• Haptics for sensory-motor rehabilitation and surgery

Keywords: rehabilitation, assistive robotics, gait

The mission of the Hummel Lab is to develop novel personalized, neurotechnological interventions tailored to the individual to enhance functional recovery of sensorimotor and cognitive functions in patients suffering from neurological disorders, such as stroke, TBI or neurodegenerative disorders, and bring these neuro-technologies from bench to clinical bedside. An excellent understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disorders and recovery processes, and the development of biomarkers is an important basis to achieve this goal.

Keywords: Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, brain stimulation

The TNE Lab develops effective neurotechnologies to restore sensorimotor function in people affected by different kinds of disabilities. We seek to translate neuroscience findings into clinical practice.

Keywords: neural engineering, brain-computer interfaces, sensorimotor function, prostheses

At MIP:Lab, we pursue the development and integration of innovative data-processing tools at various stages of the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation pipeline of neuroimaging data, in particular, using (functional) magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and optical techniques. We aim at obtaining new insights into brain function & dysfunction by approaches that are based on modeling the brain as a network and as a dynamical system.

These new signatures of brain function are promising to interpret and predict cognitive and clinical conditions. In that sense, we want to go beyond mapping the brain and contribute to the ongoing quest to ultimately find...

"... a way of looking at activity in real time, essentially at the speed of thought, so you're able to capture what's activated when and how that's connected in a way that's sufficient for behavior."
Dr. Thomas Insel, Director National Institute of Mental Health (2015)

Keywords: fMRI, connectomics, brain networks

Broadly speaking, we work at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning. Ultimately, we are interested in reverse engineering the algorithms of the brain, in order to figure out how the brain works and to build better artificial intelligence systems.

Keywords: NeuroAI, Machine Learning, DeepLabCut

We aim to reverse engineer the neural circuits that drive adaptive motor behavior by studying artificial and natural intelligence. We design behavioral assays for mice, perform large-scale neural recordings, and build new deep learning & machine learning tools to aid in our quest of finding internal models in the brain.

Keywords: NeuroAI, DeepLabCut, motor control

Our research at INL lies at the intersection of circuit design, machine learning, and neuroscience, and our mission is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic devices for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

We use advanced circuit design techniques to build low-power and miniaturized system-on-chips (SoCs) that can record neural activity, detect brain dysfunction in real time, and respond by therapeutic intervention such as neurostimulation. We use machine learning techniques for accurate detection of neurological symptoms in closed-loop neural implants, and for motor decoding in brain-machine interface systems.

Keywords: circuit design, neurostimulation, smart implants

Our mission is to develop and provide viral vectors for genetic manipulations, for both research in life sciences and therapeutic applications. The platform can support any approach including gene delivery, gene silencing and gene editing, either in vitro or in vivo. In particular we can provide longstanding expertise and guidance for the design of gene therapy related to the central nervous system and sensory organs.

Keywords: gene therapy, viral vectors