We are interested in how animals process information as they make decisions. These neural processes have important consequences for micro-economics and consequent institutional structures. The REU student would do data mining from our very large database of neurophysiological data under the supervision of a specific graduate student or postdoc, depending on the specific data set.
The Pacinan corpuscle (PC) is a stretch receptor located in the skin that senses high-frequency vibrations. Our group is interested in understanding how PCs located within the hand sense vibratory stimuli. This project involves using a high-frequency buzzer to perform psychophysical experiments on human subjects to analyze our ability to distinguish between different frequencies and complex stimuli.
The research program at LISEC focuses on the development of sensors and estimation systems. Previous lab members have developed a variety of novel biomedical sensors and current work includes the development of carbon nanotube (CNT) based microelectrode arrays for neural recording. The REU student would support the CNT microelectrode project, perhaps designing and building a rig for sensor testing or assembly. We are open to discussing other relevant projects within the systems neuroengineering theme.
Self-driving cars are on the horizon. We are interested in controlling the navigation of vehicles using our custom neuromorphic cores. The REU student would be responsible for implementing the navigation from various sensors and training the network to navigate a scenario the student designs.