Uniqueness: Key Differentiators
The BRAIN Center is a Phase II National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded industry–university collaborative research center (IUCRC).
It is a partnership between the University of Houston, Arizona State University, Miguel Hernández University in Spain, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, and three prospective national sites—Georgia Tech, UMBC, and West Virginia University. Our Industry Advisory Board (IAB) is comprised of national and international companies, start-ups, hospitals, and foundations.
The Innovation Ecosystem
Clinical Integration
Partnerships with institutions from the Texas Medical Center (TMC) to conduct clinical trials and validate technologies in real-world settings.
Regulatory Strategy
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collaborate on human interaction with medical devices.
Advanced Data Collection
Context-aware mobile brain–body imaging (MoBI) technologies for larger, smarter, distributed clinical trials.
Biomarker Discovery
Assaying the population variability of EEG biomarkers with potential diagnostic utility.
Ethics & Policy
The BRAIN Center is actively engaged in the study of ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects of neurotechnologies. We focus on developing standards for emergent technologies such as closed-loop brain–machine interfaces, electronic tattoos for health monitoring, and convergent research at the intersection of science, engineering, and the humanities.
Workforce Development
Our workforce development program includes an NSF REU Site, Neurotechnologies to Help the Body Move, Heal, and Feel Again. We offer graduate courses focusing on the development of new tools, standards, and regulatory approaches to assess the safety, reliability, efficacy, quality, and performance of biomedical products.