ConFusion is proud to welcome Dr. Cynthia Chestek as our Science Guest of Honor for 2015!

Dr. Cynthia Chestek is a professor and researcher in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr. Chestek’s research focuses on brain machine interface (BMI) systems using 100 channel arrays implanted in motor and pre-motor cortex. The goal of this research is to eventually develop clinically viable systems to enable paralyzed individuals to control prosthetic limbs, as well as their own limbs using functional electrical stimulation and assistive exoskeletons. To move towards arm control, she is particularly interested in algorithms that better model the non-linear relationship between neural activity and the complex biomechanics of the arm. Other research areas include developing mitigation strategies for non-stationarities in neural recordings over time, and implantable wireless systems. Such systems can eliminate the transcutaneous infection risk associated with current BMIs, as well as expand the number of independent channels in the neural interface.