Meet the Lab team members. We welcome requests for information about our work and collaboration opportunities. We are seeking new members at all levels. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Marc Slutzky at mslutzky@northwestern.edu
Current Lab Members
 | Marc Slutzky, MD, PhD Principal Investigator Professor of Neurology | |
 | Robert Flint, PhD Research Assistant Professor My research goals center around understanding and using the signals that human brains employ to move our bodies. Everyday life is full of opportunities and demands that motivate a repertoire of movements, including thoroughly mastered tasks (like tying one's shoes), as well as brand new experiences like taking up a new sport or learning to play an instrument. How does the brain learn new movements, and improve dexterity over time? How are these processes impacted by neurological injury? How can we empower individuals to restore or replace lost function after such injuries? These are the core questions that my research aims to address. I have experience acquiring human neural signals using electrocorticography and electroencephalography in the hospital setting (working with individuals who are undergoing monitoring as part of their care), as well as obtaining intracranial signals like single-unit action potentials and local field potentials in laboratory animals. Among my goals is the design of next-generation brain-machine interfaces that are intuitive to learn and less effortful to use. Currently, I am excited to join with Dr. Slutzky and a diverse group of collaborators across multiple institutions on a newly funded study to elucidate the mechanisms of electrocortical stimulation (ECS), and to probe the effects of ECS on functional connectivity patterns across the cortex. | |
 | Abed Khorasani, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow My primary interest lies in developing restorative neural technology for clinical monitoring and enhancing the motor functions in neurological disorders and trauma, such as stroke and spinal cord injury. | |
 | Tianhao (Alec) Lei PhD candidate I am generally interested in how the human brain processes language during speech and the application of modern machine learning techniques that are customized to process high dimensional neural data. More specifically, my research focuses on the neural representation of semantic and lexical information in the human language network. Outside of the lab, I like painting and working out. | |
 | Prashanth Ravi Prakash PhD candidate My work involves studying how the brain encodes information about speech and language using electrocorticography. Specifically, I am interested in applying computational approaches to understanding how the brain encodes information about speech intent in non-frontal cortical areas. This involves examining the temporal relationship of modulation in ECoG with respect to the speech onset and the spatial interactions between different cortical areas. In addition to speech brain machine interfaces, I am also interested in studying the mechanisms of recovery in chronic stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation. This project sheds light on how specific spinal pathways contribute to rehabilitative outcomes in chronic stroke survivors. | |
 | Cynthia Gorski Research Technologist II My academic interests have always been centered on the prosthetics and mechanical forces of the human body. As a Marquette Alumni, I strive to uphold the mission of “Cura Personalis” [which translates to “care for the whole person”] in my work. My current research involves a brain-control interface to rehabilitate arm function by utilizing visual and audio feedback of upper extremity function. Our goal has been to improve the daily lives and motor function in persons with neurological trauma (I.e., stroke survivors). Outside of the lab, I enjoy gardening, crafting, singing karaoke, and watching stand-up comedy. | |
 | Jason Huang Research Intern My academic interests are generally in applications of computer science towards healthcare. More specifically, I’ve worked on projects such as smart facemasks and inferring vitals with an energy harvesting PPG sensor, and I’m excited to learn more about how neuro- and myo-electric interfaces can be applied in the rehabilitation and treatment of patients. In my free time I enjoy fencing, photography, and painting. | |
 | Takahiro Manabe Master's student | |
Lab Alumni
| Name | Time in the lab | Position in the lab | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameen | |||
| Jason | |||
| Jenna | |||
| Erol Ikiz | High School Students | High School Student | |
| Torin Kovac | High School Students | High School Student | |
| Aditya Kanesa-thasan, BS | Medical Students | Ophthalmology Resident, Wills Eye Hospital | |
| Dela Amoussou, MD | Medical Students | Neurologist, Anacapa Surgical Associates | |
| James Nie | Medical Students | MD Student, University of Illinois | |
| Jeffrey Nie | Medical Students | MD Student, Southern Illinois University | |
| Kevin Lindsay, BS | Medical Students | MD/PhD student, Georgia Regents University | |
| Max Krucoff, MD | Medical Students | Neurosurgery Resident at Duke University | |
| Murad Alqadi | Medical Students | MD Student | |
| Tyler Jacobson | Medical Students | MD Student, Northwestern University | |
| Michael Scheid, PhD | PhD Students | Technical Sales Engineer, Plexon, Inc | |
| Michael Malina | Post-Bac & Visiting Scholars | Neuroimaging Analyst, UChicago | |
| Na-Teng Hung (Nathan) | Post-Bac & Visiting Scholars | B.S., Bioengineering, University of Illinois | |
| Saad Hameed | Post-Bac & Visiting Scholars | Emergency Medicine Physician, United Kingdom | |
| Emily Mugler, PhD | Post-Doctoral Fellows | Brain-Computer Interface Engineer, Meta Reality Labs | |
| Mukta Vaidya, PhD | Post-Doctoral Fellows | Quantitative Researcher, DRW | |
| Sangsoo Park, PhD | Post-Doctoral Fellows | Research Professor, Korea University College of Medicine | |
| Aparna Singh, BS | Technical Staff | PhD student at Vanderbilt University | |
| Eric Lindberg, BE | Technical Staff | Software Developer at Twitch LLC | |
| Joel Hulsizer | Technical Staff | ||
| Luke Jordan, BS | Technical Staff | Postdoctoral Fellow, Lehigh University | |
| Zachary Wright, MS | Technical Staff | PhD student in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago |