NIH BRAIN Initiative Awards Multi-Year Grant for Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation Research

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Key Points

  • Bin He, PhD, of Carnegie Mellon University, has received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative.
  • The funding will support the investigation of the cellular and neural circuit neuroscience mechanisms for transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation.

Bin HeBin He, PhD, a Trustee Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), has received a multimillion-dollar RF1 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) BRAIN Initiative.

The three-year, approximately $2 million grant will fund studies that investigate the cellular and neural circuit mechanisms of transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation. According to the CMU announcement, Dr. He’s research should “create a better understanding of the effects of stimulation technology in order to noninvasively manipulate and control neural circuits. The grant will characterize neural and interneural interactions using focused ultrasound as a noninvasive stimulation technology, which could benefit patients suffering from various brain disorders.” Kai Yu, PhD, Research Scientist in the He Laboratory at CMU, Mary Torregrossa, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Kang Kim, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering, at the University of Pittsburgh, are co-investigators on the grant.

“We are excited that our proposal was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,” said Dr. He. “This project will help us understand the most basic mechanisms behind focused ultrasound neuromodulation, which is critically important to understand the effect of focused ultrasound to central nervous system and will in turn translate to clinical advances in the field.”

The He laboratory has open positions for postdoctoral researchers. Candidates with demonstrated experience in focused ultrasound, EEG-based brain-computer interfaces, and source imaging are particularly welcome to apply. Prior experience in in vivo rodent model or human studies is a plus although not required. See the Position Announcement >

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