Teaching

BMME 590. Brain-Machine Interfaces. 3 Credits

This course explores the cutting-edge field of brain-machine/computer interfaces, focusing on the development and application of technologies that bridge the human brain and external devices. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the core components involved in brain-machine interfaces, including neural recording techniques, advanced signal processing, and neural decoding strategies. Students will examine how these technologies enable prosthetic control, sensory feedback, and electrical stimulation for therapeutic purposes. Emphasizing both historical developments and contemporary innovations, the course contextualizes these technologies in clinical settings, addressing their transformative potential in treating neurological disorders and enhancing human capabilities. Students will engage with primary research literature, participate in discussions, and undertake hands-on projects to apply technical concepts to experimental data. Through this dynamic combination of lectures and research, students will gain a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary challenges and breakthroughs in this evolving field.

BMME 301.  Human Physiology: Electrical Analysis.  4 Credits. 

Human physiology is the scientific study of the normal functions and mechanisms in the human body. It covers a broad range of processes, from the cellular level to the entire organism, focusing on how various systems like the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, and sensory systems interact to sustain life. This course offers an in-depth exploration of human physiology with a focus on electrical phenomena from a biomedical engineering perspective. It emphasizes key areas of neural, sensory, and cardiac physiology, providing students with the foundational knowledge necessary to understand complex electrical processes within the human body. Topics include the mechanisms of autonomic and somatic motor control, where students examine how the nervous system regulates vital functions and voluntary movements. The course bridges physiological concepts with real-world engineering applications, such as neural stimulators, cochlear implants, vestibular implants, and pacemakers. Advanced technologies like functional imaging, artificial noses, and visual implants are studied to demonstrate how engineering innovations can restore or enhance physiological function. Through computer-based MATLAB exercises, students gain hands-on experience in modeling and analyzing electrical activity in the body. Designed for biomedical engineering majors, BMME 301 is a crucial component of the curriculum, integrating physiology with cutting-edge biomedical device development.