For Incoming Students: 2007

There's a new batch of incoming students, so we're once again answering questions on the neuroengineering blog.

To refer to last year's questions, check out these posts:
Info for Incoming Students (2006)
and
Incoming Students: Questions and Answers (2006, 2007)

We'll post answers to new questions here:
Incoming Students 2007: Questions & Answers

Some changes from last year:
The NeuroEngineering Student Summer Seminar
Wednesdays at 1p
Hearing Science Library (Ross 529)
JHMI (Medical) Campus
To see the schedule, check out:
http://neuroengineering.bme.jhu.edu/calendar.html
We'll be having an introductory seminar on August 29th to showcase research opportunities for new students, and we'll be answering questions about classes at any seminar, especially the one on August 22nd. (Email issel at jhu for more details.)

Also, a few useful links have been updated:
Check out the BME PhD Council Website for some useful information:
http://phdcouncil.bme.jhu.edu
(Featuring administrative links, maps, forums, photos, etc. And please email me feedback or questions on the site.)

If you're interested in Neuroengineering, please check out the website:
http://neuroengineering.bme.jhu.edu
And/or the blog, which answers a few questions from last year's incoming class:
http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com
If you want to be notified about neuroengineering events at Hopkins, please join our mailing list for Hopkins students:
http://groups.google.com/group/neuroengineering2

If you've got questions (on residences, neuroengineering, classes, labs, or life in general), feel free to send me an email. If you'd like to come see/play summer softball or soccer w/ the BME taeam(s), if you'd like to go salsa/swing dancing or clubbing or shopping or barhopping, or if you'd like info on what to do in Baltimore, let me know! :)

Congratulations! We look forward to meeting all of you soon. :)

Q: Register for the Seminar?

Hi,
I am very interested in the program. Is registration required for the seminar in Aug?

Hello!
I don't think that registration is "required," though I do recommend that you register for it. You can also just show up and attend the seminar, without registering.

On the first day, Dr. Thakor will ask everyone what time would be the most convenient time to hold the seminar. Each week, different neuroengineering faculty members will present a "chalk talk" -- a quick lecture about the basics of their research -- so that students interested in neuroengineering can get a flavor of what neuroengineering is.

Also, sign up for the mailing list:
http://groups.google.com/group/neuroengineering2
so that you'll be notified about neuroengineering events.

Feel free to refer to the blog (http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com) or the website (http://neuroengineering.bme.jhu.edu) if you have more questions.

I hope that helps! :)

Q: Undergraduate Major + Neuroengineering?

Hi, I'm an undergrad intending to major in Neural Science, and wanted to ask you something after coming across the Neuroengineering Facebook group. I was wondering whether an undergraduate degree in a field of engineering is required to pursue/gain admission into grad/PhD programs in Neuroengineering. Is it required to have previously studied biomedical engineering, or is it enough to have a Neural Science background in order to apply to and succeed in these programs? I have recently decided that I would like to study/pursue Neuroengineering after graduation. However, my college does not have an engineering school, and am thus considering transferring. I was also wondering whether or not you began this PhD program at Johns Hopkins immediately after graduation from the college you went to?

Hello!
So... if you're planning on doing graduate student research in any field of engineering, whether it's neuroengineering or biomedical engineering, I highly recommend an engineering background. At the least, you should take the math courses that are relevant for engineering, like differential equations or linear algebra. You could also take classes at a separate university that does offer engineering classes, in order to supplement your education. Does your college allow cross-registration?

I went to Hopkins immediately after graduating from undergrad, where I majored in biology, w/ minors in biomedical engineering and toxicology. The biological and neurological side has been relatively easy for me in graduate school, but I don't have a lot of the engineering basics. Many of the biomedical engineering faculty here at Hopkins assume that we grad students know linear algebra, diff eqs, basic programming, etc. One faculty member told me that they usually don't accept natural science people into their biomedical engineering program, but they do look for more research-oriented and problem-solving educations.

I don't know what neural sciences at your university is like. If you really like it there, then you could always stay there, pursue neuroscience, and do research that's neuroengineering-related. What counts the most for your graduate school application is what you've learned, your research, and your recommendations. I'd recommend trying out various research areas in neuroengineering, like summer internships or working with particular faculty member, or just experiencing neuroengineering research fields in general, before deciding to transfer universities.

You can also find information on graduate programs and each school's specific requirements on each school's webpage. For biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, check out:

http://www.bme.jhu.edu/academics/phd/phd_application.htm

[A Facebook Message from an Undergrad Interested in NeuroEngineering.]
(Answered by Issel.)

Q: Med School vs. Alternative Track?

I'm interested in neuroengineering, right now specifically clinical neuroengineering. I was wondering if you had any advice on what classes to take as an incoming first-year. What's your advice regarding the med. school classes vs. standard BME classes? And, are there any particular standard BME classes that are highly recommended? Any advice you could give would be a great help!

Thanks!

Hello!
Last year's batch had a couple of the same questions, so we posted a few of them on our blog. You might find the following entries particularly helpful:
Info for Incoming Students
and
Incoming Student Questions & Answers

Clinical neuroengineering... What type? It sounds like you want to apply engineering + neuroscience to a clinical population, so what type of engineering do you want to focus on, or what type of clinical population? I'm working at the F.M. Kirby Center, researching MRI of the spine, and I'll be working w/ patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, etc. Dr. Thakor's group is working on neural prosthetics for amputees, among other things.

What was your undergrad major / what did you focus on? People who take the med school track usually want to boost their biology, but I opted to take it just to see what med school is like. It was an amazing experience -- a tad stressful, perhaps, b/c you're surrounded by some of the brightest students ever, but each lecture is taught by one of the experts in that particular field, so you get a good flavor of who's doing what around Hopkins. That said, the med school takes up a good year of classes, and you'll definitely have to take engineering classes your second year. If you start off on the alternative track, you might be able to pick/choose/finish classes sooner.

I think that if you don't know which biological problem you'd like to tackle, it's probably a good idea to take the med school track. If you have a pretty good idea of what to do, then start off w/ the classes that are focused on that. You can also take part of the med school and part of the alternate track. The med school classes are taught from 8a to about 1p each day, with each subject covered in blocks -- they teach (and finish) biochemistry in two weeks, then move to genetics, then immunology, etc. Neuroscience and Organ Systems are taught in the spring. I really enjoyed neuroscience w/ the med school -- it's basically two months of lectures, discussion groups, and labs, taught from about 8a to 1p.

As far as standard BME classes... it really depends on what field you're going into. I think differential equations and linear algebra are considered a "must." You'll probably need some type of programming at some point, though my lab focuses mostly on Matlab. If you're doing neuronal / cellular neuroengineering, take Models of the Neuron. I also took Applied Math for Engineering, which is taught through the Department of Geographical and Environmental Engineering. That teaches/reviews a lot of the background math for engineering in general. I've also taken Calcium Channel Signaling, Medical Imaging Systems, Biostatistics, and Statistical Methods in Imaging.

We're also putting together a curriculum based on neuroengineering area, so perhaps that'll answer any questions. And if you come to the neuroengineering seminar (Wednesdays at 1p in the Hearing Science Library / Ross 529 on the JHMI campus), then all of the students will be happy to answer any questions that you've got.

Incoming Students 2007: Questions & Answers

A list of all of the questions (from incoming students of 2006 and 2007) can be found on this post:
Incoming Student Questions & Answers

From 2007:
7/24/07: Q: Med School vs. Alternative Track?
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2007/07/q-med-school-vs-alternative-track.html)

Hi,
I'm interested in neuroengineering, right now specifically clinical neuroengineering. I was wondering if you had any advice on what classes to take as an incoming first-year. What's your advice regarding the med. school classes vs. standard BME classes? And, are there any particular standard BME classes that are highly recommended? Any advice you could give would be a great help!

Thanks!

7/27/07: Q: Register for the Seminar?
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2007/07/q-register-for-seminar.html)

Hi,
I am very interested in the program. Is registration required for the seminar in Aug?

*hehe And the Word Verification for this post was "spiny." :P

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
7/18/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Gabriel Colon, Natan Davidovics, Issel Lim, Misti Marr, Christopher Smith, Aaron Wong

Essay Contest
A new version of the Essay Contest application form, as well as a generic email for distribution purposes, was provided by N. Bhanpuri for review. Money for the contest will be provided by N. Thakor, unless funds can be obtained from the GRO. Transcripts will be sent to N. Bhanpuri via a mailbox set up at the med campus. For any suggestions or changes, contact N. Bhanpuri within a week.

Curriculum
C. Smith is compiling a list of classes to be used as a reference for Neuroengineers in selecting courses to take. The list will be organized into research subfields within Neuroengineering. Please email him with your research area, and a list of classes taken and the semester in which it is offered.

Summer Seminar Series
N. Bhanpuri had us reaching to new heights with his talk on Coordination Rehabilitation. Next week, we will have twice the excitement with N. Davidovics and G. Colon both giving talks on their research.

NEWRON vol I issues XV-XVIII

Edited by: Natan Davidovics

Issue XV

Brain Chip Helps Restore Muscle Movement

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/11/02/brainchip_tec.html?category=health&guid=20061102101530

An implantable brain chip that serves as an artificial connection between nerve cells could one day help rehabilitate lost muscle movement in patients who have suffered brain injuries, stroke or paralysis.

Dual-imaging Technique Useful Before And During Brain Surgery

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070609112838.htm

Brain specialists say the ability to incorporate--in real time--two high-tech imaging tools into the operating room can improve the functional abilities of patients who undergo brain surgery.



Miniature robot for precise positioning and targeting in keyhole neurosurgery

http://www.huji.ac.il/cgi-bin/dovrut/dovrut_search_eng.pl?mesge118114208532688760

An invention by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem researcher has made it possible to retain the advances of keyhole surgery through utilization of the "services" of a tiny robot that can guide surgical procedures with great accuracy.

Issue XVI
Hitachi: Move the Train With Your Brain

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_BRAIN_REMOTE?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Forget the clicker: A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.




A Step Toward a Living, Learning Memory Chip

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0306422B-E7F2-99DF-3809798634B2D416&sc=I100322

Israeli scientists imprint multiple, persistent memories on a culture of neurons, paving the way to cyborg-type machines

Brain's Inertial Navigation System Pinpointed

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=74875&nfid=crss

Researchers have discovered a sophisticated neural computer, buried deep in the cerebellum, that performs inertial navigation calculations to figure out a person's movement through space.

Issue XVII

Brain Electrodes Zap Depression

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/06/01/electrodes_tec.html?category=health&guid=20070601131500

Stimulating different parts of the brain with implanted electrodes could help treat the nearly two million people in the United States who suffer from severe depression but fail to respond to conventional treatment.

Robotic Ankles Step Up

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/05/31/roboticankle_tec.html?category=health&guid=20070531131500

Two robotic devices that mimic the human ankle could give amputees more natural, energy-efficient gaits. These spring-enabled, motor-driven devices could one day evolve into prostheses that attach directly to bone and draw on neural implants and sensors for automatic feedback and control.



Scientists Reverse Mental Retardation in Mice

http://sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=6901F70B-E7F2-99DF-3648F0789D1EC063&chanID=sa003&ec=ab174_0626

M.I.T. scientists report in Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences USA that they ameliorated brain damage in mice caused by a genetic disorder known as fragile X syndrome by blocking an enzyme involved in cellular development.

Issue XVIII

Insight Into Neural Stem Cells Has Implications For Designing Therapies

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070706090028.htm

Scientists have discovered that adult neural stem cells, which exist in the brain throughout life, are not a single, homogeneous group. Instead, they are a diverse group of cells, each capable of giving rise to specific types of neurons. The finding, the team says, significantly shifts the perspective on how these cells could be used to develop cell-based brain therapies.



Therapeutic Reflection

http://www.sciammind.com/article.cfm?articleID=D9C92A33-E7F2-99DF-3FD4CA8C977BCD81

So-called mirror neurons in the brain mimic other people's movements and help stroke victims regain lost abilities

Brain's Rapid Response Means That We Learn From Our Mistakes

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=75809

An 'early warning signal' in the brain that helps us to avoid repeating previous mistakes has been identified by Psychologists from the University of Exeter. Published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, their research identifies, for the first time, a mechanism in the brain that reacts in just 0.1 seconds to things that have resulted in us making errors in the past.

NEWRON vol I issues XI-XIV

Edited by: Natan Davidovics

Issue XI

Scots scientists unveil 'spray-on' computer

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=539582007

Scientists have developed a computer the size of a matchstick head. Spraying them directly onto a person creates the ability to carry out different tests at the same time, for example muscle movement and pulse rate.



Freeing a Locked-In Mind

http://www.sciammind.com/article.cfm?articleID=C70861E4-E7F2-99DF-3F9AD7602EE86A49

Vegetative patients may soon be able to communicate with the outside world



Where New Neurons Go to Work

http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=where_new_neurons_go_to_work_1&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1&showComments=1

After a sometimes ferocious debate lasting decades, most neuroscientists now agree that the adult brain makes new neurons. Yet they're far from agreeing on what, if anything, these freshly minted new brain cells actually do. Do they replace worn-out veterans? Provide new memories? Strengthen existing knowledge? Just take up space? These questions hang over every discussion of neurogenesis -- and drive quite a few research agendas.

Issue XII

High Times for Brain Growth: Marijuana-like drug multiplies neurons

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20051015/fob7.asp

In the stoner stereotype, pot smokers and dying brain cells go hand in hand. However, new research suggests the situation may be more uplifting than that. A drug that functions as concentrated marijuana does may spur neurogenesis, the process by which the brain gives birth to new nerve cells.

Next-generation toys read brain waves

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/fun.games/04/30/mind.reading.toys.ap/index.html

• Gaming industry working with brain wave-reading technology
• Technology makes video games more mentally stimulating
• Toys could boost mental focus and help kids with ADD
• Also enable paralyzed people to "move" in virtual realty

Study sheds light on memory by erasing it

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070509-12335900-bc-us-memory.xml

A U.S. study has shown memory can be created and then biochemically erased in slices of rat hippocampus by manipulating a so-called "memory molecule."

Issue XIII

Scientists Draw Link Between Morality And Brain's Wiring

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117884235401499300-EW_3t5ypADMYm8VE4JXI6xaj5hE_20070609.html

A provocative medical experiment conducted recently by neuroscientists at Harvard, Caltech and the University of Southern California strongly suggests moral convictions come not from conscious principles but from the brain trying to make its emotional judgment felt.



Total Recall: Alzheimer's-like Mice Regain Memory

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=45E26D3D-E7F2-99DF-37C48D32D08DAE34&ref=sciammind

M.I.T. researchers find that certain environments prompt lost memory to return and determine the biological mechanism behind the phenomenon



What is a neural network and how does its operation differ from that of a digital computer? (In other words, is the brain like a computer?)

http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?chanID=sa017&articleID=8B4338BA-E7F2-99DF-32025F46795812AD

This is a brief article that does a good job of summing up the basics of neural networks, which is a term that we all hear rather often but may not fully understand what it means.

Issue XIV

The Magnetic Brain Stimulator Will See You Now

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/05/magnet_therapy

The next time you visit a psychiatrist, don't be put off by the helmet-shaped device crawling with electrodes in the corner of the office. It's there to help.

Hacking My Kid's Brain: How a Child's Neurons Were Rewired

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/05/brain_hack

Three months ago I took my 7-year-old son through a neurological treatment designed to hack his brain. It's been 90 days since his treatment ended, and I am happy to report the hack has made a huge difference.

The benefits of forgetfulness: smaller search spaces mean easier recall

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070604-the-benefits-of-forgetfulness-smaller-search-spaces-mean-faster-recall.html

The journal Nature Neuroscience is running an article that looks at how some memories get made permanent. The results of the study suggest that an active process of forgetting the alternatives can be crucial for solidifying a memory.

Brain Reaches Adult Levels by Age 12

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/05/18/childbrain_hea.html?category=health&guid=20070518101500

Can you get smarter than a fifth-grader? Of course, but new research suggests some of the brain's basic building blocks for learning are nearing adult levels by age 11 or 12.

NEWRONs

Links to issues of NEWRON (edited by Natan Davidovics).
NEWRON cleverly stands for "NeuroEngineering Weekly Review Of News" and is intended to keep students and researchers in the field of neuroengineering abreast of advances in the field that are making headlines around the world. This weekly review contains a link to each article, followed by the title and a brief summary.

Volume I Issue I

Volume I Issue II

Volume I Issue III

Volume I Issue IV

Volume I Issue V

Volume I Issue VI

Volume I Issue VII

Volume I Issue VIII

Volume I Issue IX

Volume I Issue X

Volume I Issues XI-XIV

Volume I Issues XV-XIII