Magnetoelectric materials for wireless neuronal modulation

Neural implants are devices that can enable doctors and engineers to electrically sense or modulate neural behavior. A nano- or microscale neuroprosthetic that operates wirelessly could be implanted using minimally-invasive routes, potentially avoiding surgical intervention. Magnetoelectric materials, those that couple magnetic fields to electric fields, allow us to wirelessly generate electric signals using input magnetic signals, but also allow us to sense electric signals via output magnetic signals. Herein, I will introduce the capability to wirelessly interface with neurons using magnetoelectric materials. As these materials directly create an electric field, they can modulate neuronal activity without any biochemical or genetic cell manipulation. I will describe their chemical synthesis and characterization, and demonstrate that they generate electric signals in response to the application of a magnetic field. Finally, I will show their ability to both positively and negatively modulate neuronal behavior in vitro, and will conclude with a discussion on potential future applications of these materials for wireless medical intervention.

Bio
Kristen Kozielski completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in the fall of 2016. Her thesis work focused on polymeric nanoparticles for DNA and RNA delivery, primarily with applications in brain cancer. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, working in multiferroic nano- and micromaterials for applications in wireless medical technologies. Kristen’s research is published in twenty-one peer-reviewed journal articles, and her work has been highlighted by Science Translational Medicine and the US NIH National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Over the course of her career, she has received funding to support her work from the US NIH, the Whitaker Foundation, and the ARCS Foundation.

Video transmission using zoom : https://epfl.zoom.us/j/9946495775