IEEE Brain once again hosted the IEEE Brain Discovery and Neurotechnology Workshop as a satellite event to the 2024 Society of Neuroscience Workshop (SfN). Approximately 180 attended the two-day event, which was held at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), October 3-4, 2024 (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Attendees at the 2024 IEEE Brain workshop
Groundbreaking solutions with the potential to improve quality of life and address neural disorders require an integrated approach among stakeholders. The goal of the workshop was to bring together the engineering, clinical, and neuroscience communities to stimulate collaborative opportunities. Program highlights included plenary keynotes by Dr. Alex Leow from UIC (Figure 2) and Dr. Amy Kruse from Satori Neuro (Figure 3).
 Figure 2: Dr. Alex Leow, UIC |
 Figure 3: Dr. Amy Kruse, Satori Neuro |
Three symposiums – Emerging Neurotechnologies, Machine Learning and Computer Paradigms for Brain Discovery, and Clinical Applications and Impact – brought together experts from world-renowned institutions including Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, IMEC, and Sandia National Labs to spotlight groundbreaking advances in brain-computer interfaces, soft bioelectronics, neuroimaging, neuro-rehabilitation, neuromorphic computing, the revolutionary role of AI and machine learning in neuroscience, and more.
Keynote talks included:
- John Rogers, Northwestern University
Soft Bioelectronic Systems as Neural Interfaces - Christos Davatzikos, University of Pennsylvania
Machine Learning and Neuroimaging: Contributions to Understanding Heterogeneity of Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Diseases and to Precision Diagnostics - Jose Pons, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
Sensorimotor Mechanisms: Informing Technology-based Motor Rehab
A breakout session on the IEEE Brain Neuroethics Framework by Dr. Laura Cabrera, Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Rebecca Monteleone, University of Toledo, emphasized the framework’s structured approach to addressing ethical, legal, cultural, and social issues in neurotechnology, with a focus on responsible research to uphold human dignity, privacy, and safety. A dynamic discussion followed, with attendees exploring neuroethics in applications such as education, entertainment, legal, wellness, and more.
The Funding and Technology Transfer Panel, where leaders from RTI International, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, University of Illinois Chicago, and Illinois Tech shared insights on translating innovation into real-world impact, engaged the audience in a lengthy Q&A focused on the challenges of funding important research and turning those concepts into products for clinical impact.
Figure 4: More than 40 posters and several live demonstrations were showcased over the two days.
More than 40 posters and live demonstrations from students and young professionals were on display during the two-day event. Each presenter gave a 1-minute lightning talk prior to the open sessions. Four Best Poster Awards and one Best Live Demonstration Award were presented at the end of the workshop. To find out more information on this and future workshops, see the workshop website.
