NETI Meeting Minutes, 2/27/08

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
2/27/08

Attendance: Heather Benz, Nasir Bhanpuri, Natan Davidovics, Suneil Hosmane, Alan Huang, Luke Johnson, Joseph Lin, Laura Malone, Rezina Siddique, Nitish Thakor, Aaron Wong

NETI Projects
Administrative and initiative projects were distributed, with the suggestion that most people focus on the administrative tasks and perhaps a few members focus primarily on the larger projects, which might run on a year-long or longer time scale. All primary volunteers are asked to email L. Johnson a short write-up discussing the specific task(s) they are undertaking, what it will entail, and a projected timeline to complete the project. Projects and collaborators are listed below (heads are in bold).

Administrative Projects
Update the curriculum
C. Smith, N. Bhanpuri
Gather student information; finding a method for ease of updating. Suggestion: use a wiki or google documents
S. Hosmane, H. Benz
NETI website update and maintenance
N. Davidovics
NEWRON newsletter
N. Davidovics
Faculty symposia (clinical, BME core, Mind-Brain, etc.)
L. Johnson, H. Benz
Rotation listing website to facilitate finding potential advisors
S. Hosmane
Update the job blog
N. Bhanpuri
Create and maintain an alumni database (that also includes past trainees who have not yet graduated)
A. Huang
Update and organize a list of Neuroengineering-related conferences and workshops
A. Wong
Plan and organize the NETI Student Summer Seminar
L. Malone
Create a flier advertising NETI, to be included in the visiting students packet in March, and possibly organize an introduction to NETI
up for grabs!
Present NETI at a conference (SFN in DC in the fall, etc.)
H. Benz
Compile a list of fellowships and awards, along with due dates, to be posted on the website
R. Siddique

Larger Projects
Neuroengineering Essay Contest (revise, promote distribution, etc.)
N. Bhanpuri, A. Huang, N. Davidovics
Combined industry/clinical/research fair (perhaps piggy-backed onto the Hopkins Career Fair or BME Design Day)
L. Malone, H. Benz
Plan and run a summer school course about Neuroengineering, involving faculty or student-run lectures, some experiments, and lab visitations, perhaps in conjunction with the Whiting Engineering Innovation summer course or the Hopkins CTY program
J. Lin, A. Wong


Next Meeting
The next NETI meeting will be held in 2 weeks.

Meeting Minutes, 2/4/08

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
2/4/08

Attendance: Heather Benz, Nasir Bhanpuri, Natan Davidovics, Suneil Hosmane, Alan Huang, Luke Johnson, Laura Malone, Rezina Siddique, Christopher Smith, Nitish Thakor, Aaron Wong

Training Grant Renewal
The Training Grant goes up for renewal this Spring, and several pieces of information must be collected beforehand (efforts spearheaded by N. Thakor):

• Individual successes and distinguishing achievements
• Alumni achievements
• Facts tables: admissions information, etc.
• Curriculum – a firm curriculum including a core, electives, and tracks must be defined. C. Smith has offered to continue his efforts in this area.
• Cases studies of past and present students, perhaps one from each research area. A. Huang has offered to do a case study on M. Donahue, the first NETI alum who has graduated
• Efforts to increase diversity, which may include increasing awareness and interest in Neuroengineering to high school students and undergrads who may not be exposed to such areas of research (i.e. those not at Hopkins)
• Efforts to increase awareness of ethics and research methodologies
• Obtaining faculty vignettes including an NIH-style biosketch, a picture, and a paragraph about their research

To further distinguish the NETI program, it has been suggested that each person undertake a project which we feel passionate about. Some suggestions include:

• Making (clinical) faculty research more transparent and visible to students, particularly to incoming students seeking rotations (S. Hosmane volunteered for this project).
• Run a Neuroengineering Day to make Neuroengineering more accessible to undergraduates, such as by having a research symposium or poster day
• Set up an Industry/Research Partnership Day, where representatives from industry are invited to come and interact with current students
• Create a (state or national) competition similar to DARPA or the concrete canoe but with a Neuroengineering-related theme
• Plan and run a week-long summer school course about Neuroengineering, perhaps one open to undergrads or high school students
• Start a Neuroengineering Journal (web-based, perhaps)
• Compile a list of fellowships and awards
• Host a reception for Hopkins students and alum at conferences
• Create and execute a structured plan for welcoming incoming students interested in Neuroengineering (both in March and in August)

Other suggestions are welcome as well.