BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Memento EPFL// BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Understanding biocompatibility in the performance of Brain Compute r Interfaces DTSTART:20190521T121500 DTEND:20190521T131500 DTSTAMP:20260508T083611Z UID:a96ad29018a7a5cf6d8778b2acc2d6a66769388d7e0a7a26af26d8c9 CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars DESCRIPTION:Prof Jeff Capadona\, Case Western Reserve University\, Clevela nd\, USA.\nProf. Capadona's laboratory is dedicated to understanding and m itigating the neuroinflammatory response to implanted devices within the c entral nervous system.  Such devices range from ventricular shunts to var ious types of stimulating and recording electrodes. Neural devices range i n material type\, size\, architecture\, function\, and placement. Regardle ss of any of these variables\, the neuroinflammatory response to the impla nt plays a significant role on the integrity of the healthy tissue and the longevity of device performance. A progressive decline in recordings qual ity after implantation has been known for over 40 years. Unfortunately\, r ecording instability is still a commonly documented problem. A major porti on of Prof. Capadona's work has focused on studying various aspects of int racortical microelectrode performance\, and pursuing both materials-based and therapeutic-based methods to mitigate the inflammatory-mediated intrac ortical microelectrode failure mechanisms. He utilizes basic science techn iques to provide a more complete mechanistic understanding of the molecula r and biological-mediated failure modes for intracortical microelectrodes. This increased understanding provides the framework for the development o f targeted materials-based and therapeutic attempts to impact intracortica l microelectrode performance. This seminar will provide an overview of the recent highlights and promising strategies to enable long-term clinical s uccesses of intracortical microelectrodes.\n\nBio\nI attended Saint Joseph ’s College in Indiana\, and started as a Chemistry/Biology major\, with aspirations for medical school.  One of the most impactful moments in my life occurred during my junior year of college.  I herniating two discs i n my back while training for baseball.  That injury taught me that medica l treatment possibilities are limited by scientific innovations.  So\, I decided to attend graduate school in a research environment where I could apply my chemistry background towards improving orthopedic implant develop ment.  After graduating with a PhD in Chemistry (Biomedical Engineering m inor) from the Georgia Institute of Technology\, I moved to Cleveland and took a position with the Advanced Platform Technology Center (APTC).  The APTC is a research center of excellence at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.  There\, I was introduced to the world of medical devices that interface with the nervous system\, especially the brain.  I instan tly fell in love with the potential life-saving / life-changing impact tha t developing more stable materials and devices could enable.  In August 2 010\, I began a tenure track appointment in the Department of Biomedical E ngineering at Case Western Reserve University. I received tenure and promo tion to Associate Professor in 2015. My research has focused on developing strategies to prevent the body from rejecting various type of brain impla nts.  The implants we work on range from ventricular shunts to drain exce ss fluid in the brain to electrodes that record brain activity to enable p atients to regain movement of damaged limbs or use computers by thinking a bout the activity.  My research has so far resulted in over 70 peer revie wed scientific manuscripts and ~250 international scientific presentations . However\, the most rewarding achievements in are mentoring students to t he completion of their own PhD degrees\, based on research in my laborator y.\n\n\n\nJoin by Zoom : https://epfl.zoom.us/j/425981117 LOCATION:Campus Biotech\, H8 Auditorium D https://plan.epfl.ch/?room=H8114 4.167 STATUS:CONFIRMED END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR