World-leading neuroscientist gives exclusive talk on reprogramming the human brain to treat medical disorders
Published: Fri 18 Jan 2019
Published: Fri 18 Jan 2019
Over a billion people suffer from a brain disorder, few of which are well-treated by existing drugs or devices. A key problem is that the brain is a complex, densely wired circuit made out of neurons, varying in shape, biomolecular composition, and patterns of connectivity.
Pinpointing how to treat brain disorders demands better maps of the brain, as well as a better understanding of brain dynamics, and the knowledge of how to correct these dynamics when they go awry.
This exciting evening talk will explore Professor Boyden's research into this field of neuroscience, linking engineering principles with a core medical problem – how do you reprogram a brain that is misfiring?
As part of his talk, Prof. Boyden will discuss his team’s invention of three toolsets to make these understandings possible:
In 2011 Prof. Boyden was awarded the first IET Harvey Prize of £300,000 for his pioneering research contributions to, and development of, the field of optogenetics, which has the potential to enable new approaches to therapy.
He will present his ground-breaking research on 22 January 2019 at IET London: Savoy Place.