Improving National Economic Health
Increases in life expectancy have shifted the leading causes of disease and death toward chronic and degenerative conditions. This trend, combined with population aging, has major implications for health care costs and workforce participation, and it underscores the need for innovative neurotechnologies that can reduce disability and improve quality of life.
Hundreds of billions
Annual economic burden of neurological disability in the U.S.
Millions affected
Worldwide, living with stroke, Parkinson's, spinal cord injury, and blindness
Many of these conditions affect mobility, sensation, and cognition at the same time. Damage to the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves can limit movement, block or distort sensory information, and alter mood and decision-making. As people live longer with these conditions, the cumulative economic impact on individuals, families, and health systems continues to grow.
The BRAIN Center focuses on engineering human-machine systems, tools and devices that can reduce this burden of disability. By improving diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term support, these technologies have the potential to reduce health care costs and help people maintain independence and participation in the workforce.
BRAIN's discoveries aim to:
- Revolutionize the treatment of brain disorders that limit mobility, cognition, and communication, enabling people to live more independently.
- Change the way scientists and engineers design human-machine systems by using rich data from the brain and body to personalize interventions.
- Interpret brain function from the molecular to network levels to better understand disease mechanisms and treatment targets.
- Harness neuroplasticity across multiple time scales to enhance the effectiveness of assistive and rehabilitative technologies.
Examples of BRAIN's engineered systems include closed-loop neuromodulation interfaces; engaging and reliable stimulation, sensing, and imaging tools for treatment of neurological disorders; high-throughput virtual and physical human-machine interfaces; and integrated diagnostic, assistive, and therapeutic platforms.
Research Interests
The Center's research portfolio reflects clinical and societal needs identified by our partners. Medical devices that interface with the nervous system for monitoring, diagnosis, therapy, or restoration are poised to be a major source of innovation and economic growth in the coming years.
BRAIN investigators use a synergistic and interdisciplinary approach to develop and validate patient-centered neurotechnologies that address disability and reduce long-term costs. Specifically, the research focuses on technologies and interventions that:
- Enhance mobility and balance to prevent falls in older adults and in people living with stroke, Parkinson's disease, and related conditions.
- Alleviate age- and disease-related degradation of sensory and motor function through advanced brain-machine interfaces and rehabilitative tools.
- Improve upper- and lower-extremity function in individuals recovering from stroke and other neurological injuries.
- Advance regulatory science and standards to support safe, effective translation of neurotechnologies into clinical and everyday settings.