Neuro-X seminar: Prof Maxime Baud - Dynamic neuromodulation for seizure control

The concept of closed-loop neuromodulation for treating brain disorders has been envisioned for decades, inspired by advances in engineering. Yet, a fully functional control system capable of restoring physiological brain dynamics remains elusive. Why is that?
Using epilepsy in patients and animal models as a case study, Prof. Baud will explore the intricacies of this paradigm, highlighting recent breakthroughs and addressing key obstacles in monitoring, computing, and modulating brain dynamics. First, he will explore the timescales and networks involved in seizures, leveraging the precision of intracranial EEG recordings. Second, he will demonstrate how machine learning excels at distinguishing pathological discharges from normal oscillations and helps plan efficacious stimulation parameters. Finally, he will present evidence of bidirectional neuromodulatory effects resulting from subtle changes in electrical stimulation parameters, highlighting the need to rely on AI to help close the loop.
This broad overview of translational research conducted over the past seven years at his lab, will serve as a launchpad for discussing future developments in the field of neuromodulation for brain disorders.

Biography
Prof.  Maxime Baud is a neurologist and a neuroscientist at Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland. He earned his MD from UNIL and a PhD in neuroscience from EPFL before completing his neurology residency at the University of California in San Francisco, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship specializing on human intracranial electrophysiology (Prof. E Chang). Recognized with prestigious international awards, Prof. Baud has made significant contributions to the clinical characterization of seizure cycles in people with epilepsy and their mechanistic underpinnings in animal models. His research operates at the intersection of neuroscience and neuroengineering, applying advanced machine-learning techniques to chronic, high-density electrophysiological recordings. By investigating brain dynamics across multiple temporal and spatial scales, his lab has recently achieved groundbreaking insights into large-scale signaling dynamics, producing brain maps of unprecedented precision drawn from intracortical recordings in human subjects. His work has been supported by an Ambizione and Eccellenza Professorship, a Velux grant, a CURE epilepsy grant and several other awards. He is the co-inventor of a subscalp EEG device and has founded a start-up company to commercialize the innovation. Prof. Baud is widely regarded as a world expert in his field.