NETI: NeuroEngineering Training Initiative

2008-09-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

2008-09-02T13:51:00.001-07:00

2008-09-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes, 3/12/08

2008-03-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
3/12/08

Attendance: Heather Benz, Nasir Bhanpuri, Suneil Hosmane, Luke Johnson, Joseph Lin, Laura Malone, Nitish Thakor, Aaron Wong

Prospective Students Visits
L. Johnson created a flier describing NETI, to be distributed to prospective students coming to visit Hopkins. N. Thakor will try to put in an announcement/brief verbal introduction to NETI if it can be squeezed into the program, otherwise NETI students are asked to spread the word informally during meal times.

Publications
If you have not already done so, please remember to send a copy of all publications and conference posters to S. Hosmane.

NETI Projects Update
Note, all projects now have dedicated folders in the neuroengineering gmail account google documents list. All project heads are suggested to make use of these folders to facilitate dissemination of project information. A brief update of current ongoing projects is below:

Curriculum: C. Smith’s document detailing the curriculum has been revised, in the format of suggested courses to be more helpful when selecting classes to take. This will soon be posted on the website, possibly with links to individual course websites.

NETI student profiles: L. Johnson has created google documents in the neuroengineering gmail account to keep student profiles updated. Each person should develop and update their own documents, one containing information for the NETI website and one a more detailed progress
report.

NETI website: S. Hosmane is now in charge of the website, and will meet with A. Cassidy to transfer management responsibilities of updating the site.
Faculty Symposia: It has been suggested to hold one symposium at the end of August prior to the start of classes, and a second one at the end of the fall semester to facilitate the selection of rotation advisors.

Rotations website: S. Hosmane is working to draft a letter soliciting rotation projects to be compiled on a website dedicated to helping incoming students find rotations. The aim is to have this developed by early Fall.

Job Blog: A counter will be added to the job blog website by N. Bhanpuri. Also, there is some thought to collaborate with Aditya Polsani to increase postings and readership on the site.

Conference List: A. Wong is working to update the list of available conferences and workshops and is currently waiting for replies of any conferences not included in a preliminary list. He has already posted a draft of his list in the neuroengineering google documents in his project folder.

Presentation of NETI at a Conference: H. Benz is looking at upcoming conferences for good dates and for sessions that may welcome a poster about NETI. She will work on updating the old NETI poster originally created by N. Bhanpuri.

Essay Contest: Modifications have been made to the application form. Some preliminary efforts have been made to contact high schools, with the intent of holding the contest this semester with a May 10th deadline. The latest contest forms will be posted in the neuroengineering google documents folder, with plans to update the website as well. It has been suggested that the essay contest prizes include, apart from a monetary prize, an opportunity to meet with professors or see some of the labs at Hopkins.

Industry/Clinical Fair: Initial efforts have been made to contact those in charge of the Hopkins Career Fair and the BME design day, with responses pending.

Summer School Program: Efforts have been made to collaborate with Hopkins Engineering Innovations program (http://engineering-innovations.jhu.edu/), which runs a 2 week summer course for high school students. The current intent is to develop a one-day module to be inserted in the program. A suggested topic will be emailed out by J. Lin; any other ideas regarding possible topic suggestions are welcome.

NETI Meeting Minutes, 2/27/08

2008-02-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

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.

Meeting Minutes 1/23/08

2008-01-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
1/23/08

Attendance: Heather Benz, Nasir Bhanpuri, Luke Johnson, Laura Malone, Aaron Wong

Goals and Initiatives
Prior to the meeting, L. Johnson and N. Bhanpuri met with N. Thakor and developed a list of goals reflective of what was accomplished last year and what the group might want to aim for this year. First was to promote awareness and interest in Neuroengineering (both at Hopkins and on a broader scope), accomplished through such means as the NEWRON newsletter, the Neuroengineering Essay contest, the NETI website, and the Fall Symposium. A second goal was to promote a strong, cohesive group of Neuroengineers at Hopkins, through such events as the Student Summer Seminar. Finally, a third, although lesser goal, was to increase clinical collaborations and translational research occurring at Hopkins. Other related efforts included the Neuroengineering job blog and the NETI blog. At a future meeting, these goals will be revised and clear initiatives formulated, with the aim that everyone contributes to at least one initiative.

Initiative Suggestions
Some ideas to consider for this upcoming year include hosting an event for Engineering Week in February, host a NETI-sponsored recruiting week event for incoming students in March, generate a forum for posting research rotation opportunities for incoming students, and make available peer-reviews of courses and continue to improve the Neuroengineering curriculum.

Grant Funds
Grant money should be spent on such purposes as conferences and workshops, but may also be applied to research-related materials such as books. N. Thakor should be informed of purchases for approval; submit receipts to Allen Strong. Remember that the fiscal year ends in July, so expenditures should be made prior to that time.

Progress Reports
Rather than having to continuously progress reports, a suggestion has been made to keep individual web-based progress reports that can be easily updated by each member as necessary. Thus begins the NETI campaign to go green.

Elections
Elections for new officers will be held at a future meeting.

Meeting Minutes, 10/31/07

2007-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
10/31/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Andrew Cassidy, Natan Davidovics, Issel Lim, Aaron Wong

NIBIB Meeting
Representatives from the NIBIB are coming on Nov. 19th. To that end, student presentations must be prepared; they will occur from 11 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 2 PM, with socializing time during the lunch hour in between. I. Lim is working to compile the presentation. A general format for the 2 hours is as follows:

10:45-11:00 – Set up
11:00-11:15 – Overview of NETI
11:15-12:00 – First round of student presentations:
-5 minute presentations: I. Lim, N. Bhanpuri, M. Xu, A. Wong, L. Johnson (maybe after lunch), N. Davidovics
-15 minute presentation: B. Landman
1:00-2:00 – Second round of student presentations
-5 minute presentations: M. Marr, D. Castillo, C. Smith, S. Hosmane, G. Colon, F. Tenore
-15 minute presentation: A. Cassidy

Note that the program will roughly follow the listed order of speakers, and each block will conclude with the long presentation. All speakers giving 5-minute presentations are requested to follow N. Thakor’s 2-slide format, with some small modifications allowed. Emphasis should be on the quality of training and individual successes achieved.

Next Meeting
All members are urgently requested to attend the meeting during the week of Nov. 14, for purposes of practicing the NIBIB presentation and discussing last minute logistics. Send I. Lim your schedules for that week so a meeting time can be coordinated.

Meeting Minutes 10/17/07

2007-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
10/17/07

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

T-Shirts
There is a possibility of producing Neuroengineering shirts. I. Lim is working on a design; send ideas to her.

Essay Contest
Thus far, no applications have been received. The current deadline for applications is the first week of November; if no applications are submitted this deadline may be extended. The contest has been advertised in a few schools and on Fastweb, but further distribution ideas are welcome.

Website
N. Thakor is interested in introducing a new section of the website where Neuroengineering-related job listings can be posted. A new blog will be generated for job listings, and a link will be included on the Neuroengineering website.

NIBIB Meeting
Representatives from the NIBIB are coming on Nov. 19th. To that end, student presentations must be prepared; they will occur from 11 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 2 PM, with socializing time during the lunch hour in between. S. Hosmane and G. Colon are to be in charge of general logistics; I. Lim will spearhead the effort to compile the presentation. A general format for the 2 hours is as follows:

10:45-11:00 – Set up
11:00-11:30 – Overview of NETI
-NEWRON, Essay Contest, Website/Blog, Mailing Lists, Administrative Meetings
-Conferences, Workshops, Seminars (Clinical Seminar, Student Seminar)
-Classes, Rotations
11:30-12:00 – First round of student presentations
1:00-1:50 – Second round of student presentations
1:50-2:00 – Concluding remarks
-Where we’ve been and where we are heading (future directions)

The general format for student presentations will be about an 8 minute presentation with 5 minutes spent on individual research and 3 minutes discussing the impact the training grant has had personally. Of the roughly 5 slides, one should discuss rotations. Topics to emphasize include clinical relevance (note: key purpose of the training grant is to foster clinical collaborations!), tools being learned/using, and some data/results for illustrative purposes. All NETI members are requested to generate 4-5 slides and summarize any material for the NETI overview by Nov. 7. A practice run will be held Nov. 14 at 12 PM. If you must present at a certain time, please let I. Lim know.

A short summary of this program including names of speakers and their research topics should be produced for distribution at the presentation.

Upcoming Things to Note
Elections should be held soon, as new NETI members will most likely be selected some time around November. Also, progress reports must be written, compiled, and submitted around that time.

Next Meeting
All members are urgently requested to attend the meeting on Nov. 14 at 12 PM on Homewood, for purposes of practicing the NIBIB presentation and discussing last minute logistics.

Clinical Neuroengineering Symposium Summary

2007-09-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Wed. Sept 5: Clinical Neuroengineering Symposium Summary

Dr. John McDonald
--- Spinal Cord Rehabilitation ---
Discussed the success of functional electric stimulation (FES) for rehabilitation of patients with severe, debilitating spinal cord injuries.
If you wish to contact him, it is best to go through his secretary: Robin Locks: locks at kennedykrieger.org
http://www.spinalcordrecovery.org/
http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_staff.jsp?pid=3843
http://www.restorative-therapies.com/

Dr. Romergryko Geocadin
--- Neurosurgery Critical Care ---
Discussed how an animal model was developed to research a clinical problem: monitoring brain injury after ischemia due to heart attacks, and how he and his collaborators were able to develop a novel method/device that is now in human clinical trials. Also mentioned continued research in this area and in the use of hypothermia to limit permanent damage after brain injury.
Email: rgeocadi at jhmi.edu
Seceretary: Gloria Mccoy: gmccoy at jhmi.edu
http://www.hopkinsneuro.org/team_member.cfm?person_id=123

Dr. Charlie Della Santina
--- Vestibular Neuroengineering ---
Described his lab's development of a vestibular neuroprosthesis to treat balance disorders. Involved investigation of the vestibular occular reflex, electrode and circuit design, imaging/characterization of the vestibular canals, analysis after implantation of prosthesis chinchillas and monkeys.
*Interested in MS and PHD students*
Email: charley.dellasantina at jhu.edu
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/OTOLARYNGOLOGY/della.html
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2007/08_06a_07.html

Dr. Nathan Crone
--- Neurology Epilepsy; Cognitive Neurophysiology ----
Discussed the use of implanted subdural electrode grids in epileptic patients to not only localize siezure foci, but using spectral analysis, investigate correlations between brain areas and map functional auditory, sensorimoter and language areas.
Email: necrone at jhmi.edu
http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/profiles/crone.html
http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/cogneurophyslab/index.html

Dr. Fred Lenz
--- Neurosurgery ---
Part of research involves pain processing, particularly in the thalamus. During brain surgery in patients with movement disorders (inserting a deep brain stimulator), there is an opportunity to record from single neurons in the thalamus.
Email: flenz1 at jhmi.edu
http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/profiles/lenz.html

Dr. Dean Wong
--- Neuro Radiology ---
Can direct interested students to many researchers at Hopkins in the area of imaging research, but his particular research interest is Positron Emission Technology, and developing new markers to study a wide range of diseases. Mathematical modelling and large scale computing is a significant part of his lab's work.
Email: dfwong at jhmi.edu
Seceretary: Jean Reyes: jreyes at jhmi.edu
http://wongradiology:7939

Reflections on the NeuroEngineering Symposium: Notes for Future Planning

2007-09-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

For reference for future NETI event planners.

Reflections on the Neuroengineering Symposium

Every time we hold seminars/symposia etc, we learn from it. These are
some things I think I would suggest to anyone else trying to set up
something like this:

-- Start early. It took several weeks to even get a response from faculty

-- email secretaries, or other faculty. For instance, it took Dr.
Thakor to push on Dr. Geocadin to respond. Other faculty go primarily
through their secretaries, and don't seem to answer personal emails
from random phd students.

-- pick a date(s) and go with it. I tried asking people when would
work for them, and it was a mess. Finally I chose two dates, and
asked people to pick what worked. Unfortunately, I think the first
date was too close in time and people didnt choose to present then.
Also, it was the last week in August, and it seemed like many faculty
were busy/out of town.

-- email often. goes back to starting early, but it wasn't until my
4th or 5th email invitation to get responses from some people. It
might be annoying to receive so many emails, but if you send a nice
polite invitation, I think people are receptive. I also included a
schedule that included who else was speaking, and the flier, though I
don't know how many people looked at that. Maybe a web link to the
flyer as opposed to an attachment would be the way to go. I don't
know if that helped in encouraging them to present, but maybe

-- Some people contacted me just days before the event saying they
wanted to present. I don't really know how best to deal with this. I
thought the whole thing would be a failure until a week beforehand.

-- 3 hours is too long. I knew that, and Dr. Thakor advised against
it, but I did it anyways, because it would have been too much of a
hassle to organize a third date last minute, and I do think it is
useful for students to see these people before the semester gets under
way full force. Even though there were only like 6 students there by
the end, even if only one student finds an opportunity or idea for
research that they otherwise would not have, I think it is worth it
--- that's what I tell myself anyways :-)

--Students have to decide rotations by mid September, and the more
they see early on the better. Ideally we would have had 4 speakers on
each day, but I would recommend to have the seminars like we did,
late-Aug early Sept.

-- Tell a speaker they have 15 minutes, they take 30. I advised them
to make presentations 15-20 minutes, but they would gladly talk
forever. I'd recommend telling them to make 10 minute presentations,
with clearer instructions on the nature of the talk (NOT data
intensive). Tell them 10 minutes, but schedule 20 minutes.

-- if you are in charge, keep them to their time limits. It's tough
because you don't want to sound rude. Tell them beforehand that
you'll give them a couple minute warning, and stop them after that and
make sure people have time to ask questions. I still wish we had been
able to take more time for student-faculty discussion.

-- make sure you schedule the room before you schedule the symposium.
Luckily I was able to do it the other way around, but that could have
been bad.

-- have a laptop available for people to put their presentation, and
have a laser pointer for them to use

-- try to get presentation titles and abstracts. I didn't, but in
retrospect it would have been nice to have for reference.

-- any other suggestions? please add to the list. we could maybe
give this to future planners of NETI events.

--luke

Meeting Minutes 9/12/07

2007-09-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
9/12/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Andrew Cassidy, Gabriel Colon, Luke Johnson, Issel Lim, Christopher Smith, Aaron Wong

Fall Symposium Part 2
Following the great success of the Fall Symposium featuring clinical faculty organized by L. Johnson, a second symposium proposed to feature those researchers who work in the Mind-Brain Institute. It has remained unclear whether such a seminar would be useful to first year students.

Poster for BME Retreat
A second edition of the poster featuring NETI has been designed by N. Bhanpuri and I. Lim for presenting at the BME retreat this upcoming weekend. However, due to time constraints, it was decided to not have the poster printed out in full form but to instead give out handouts of the poster to interested students. During the poster session, inquiries will be made of interested students as to whether an MBI symposium would be helpful and to ensure that they are on the Neuroengineering mailing list.

Elections
Elections for new officers will be held off until new members have been selected.

Scholarship Essay Contest
N. Bhanpuri has created a final draft of the scholarship essay contest form. Distribution so far has not been very successful, so the contest has been opened up to all interested students in the state of Maryland. Alternative methods of distribution will also be considered, including posting the application on Fastweb.

Website
A. Cassidy intends to update student pages with a list of courses taken or currently taking, as well as some information from the NETI poster and any other information individuals desire to update. S. Hosmane’s information is to be added to the website. The professor pages are also to be updated, as well as the information page regarding the Fall Symposium.

Other Members
A question has arisen regarding the extent of inclusion of individuals interested in Neuroengineering but not presently on the grant. In particular, this is regarding participation in meetings and being added to the Neuroengineering (1) Google group. N. Thakor will be asked for his input prior to making a final decision.

Meeting Minutes, 8/22/07

2007-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
8/22/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Andrew Cassidy, Suneil Hosmane, Luke Johnson, Issel Lim, Misti Marr, Aaron Wong, Guests

Fall Seminar
L. Johnson is still in the process of coordinating the fall seminar.

Summer Seminar Series
For the benefit of the first years in attendance, a round of introductions preceded the seminar. I. Lim then gave us a magnetizing talk on MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The talk concluded with a brief presentation of student research of those currently involved with NETI, as well as advice on types of classes typically taken.

Meeting Minutes, 8/15/07

2007-08-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
8/15/07

Attendance: Andrew Cassidy, Gabriel Colon, Natan Davidovics, Luke Johnson, Christopher Smith, Dr. Nitish Thakor, Aaron Wong

Webpage
A. Cassidy has informed us that the neuroengineering web page is updated.

Neuroengineering Fall Seminar
N. Thakor suggested that we select two afternoons to offer the seminar, in order to obtain a greater participation on the part of the clinical faculty. It was decided that two successive Wednesdays would be ideal to start, with the day possibly being changed based on faculty availability. Each speaker will have about 20 to 30 minutes to present. To garner the greatest student participation, the seminars will be held at 1pm after med school classes conclude for the day, and lunch will be provided. L. Johnson is currently working to coordinate the seminar.

Summer Seminar Series
L. Johnson’s presentation on Auditory Neurophysiology: Developing a New Animal Model for the Cochlear Implant provided those present with much aural pleasure. Next week, I. Lim will be presenting, followed by a short summary of NETI student research for the benefit of incoming students.

Meeting Minutes, 8/8/07

2007-08-08T13:06:00.001-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
8/8/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Andrew Cassidy, Gabriel Colon, Suneil Hosmane, Luke Johnson, Issel Lim, Christopher Smith, Aaron Wong

Curriculum
C. Smith is still collecting and compiling course information. A completed version should be available around Aug. 22.

Essay Contest
A new version of the essay contest form is available and will be emailed out by N. Bhanpuri. Currently, the deadline for student submissions is intended for October.

Webpage
A. Cassidy has informed us that the neuroengineering web page is up, although a few changes are still to be made.

Neuroengineering Fall Seminar
Instead of the weekly chalk-talk seminar format, Dr. Thakor has proposed a single seminar in which each of 6 faculty members can spend about 30 minutes presenting on their research. After some discussion on potential dates and formats, it was agreed to aim for a seminar on Aug. 29th in the afternoon following med school classes that day.

Summer Seminar Series
You could certainly feel the excitement oozing throughout the room as C. Smith gave his presentation on Microfluidics and Adult Neural Stem Cell Research. L. Johnson will be presenting next week, with I. Lim to bring our summer seminar series to a close. For I. Lim’s presentation on the 22nd, please email her a one-slide summary of your research to be compiled into a brief overview for incoming students interested in getting a taste of Neuroengineering. If the attendance rate on the 22nd is low, this overview be postponed till the 29th.

Q: Classes?

2007-08-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

As I'm more actively pondering courses for the fall, I was wondering about how many credits do people usually take? I probably averaged around 16 as an undergrad, but if they want us to do 36 credits in 4 semesters, that's only about 9 credits (with rotations, or course). What did you take your first semester?

Thanks!

Heiya --

Credits -- I think people usually take anywhere between 2 to 4 classes. The sooner you get 'em over with, then the sooner you can focus on research. Another incoming student asked about courses to take, and I posted her answer on the NeuroEngineering blog, so feel free to check that out, and let me know if you have more questions:
Q: Med School vs. Alternative Track

Classes really depend on what you're interested in. I took the med school track, then med school track + calcium channel signaling, and then three classes (Models of the Neuron, Applied Math for Engineering, and Biostatistics through the School of Public Health), and then two classes (Medical Imaging Systems and Statistical Methods in Imaging). I've finished my credits, so I'll probably just sit in on a few in the fall. Right now, I'm looking at Medical Image Analysis, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and an NMR Physics course. If you net me know which classes you're taking, I can direct you to people who've already taken the class, or who might have more suggestions.

To the other NETI people: feel free to write about which classes you've taken, and which ones you'd recommend! :)

Meeting Minutes 8/1/07

2007-08-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Meeting Minutes
Neuroengineering Training Grant
8/1/07

Attendance: Nasir Bhanpuri, Natan Davidovics, Luke Johnson, Christopher Smith, Aaron Wong

NEWRON
N. Davidovics is working to put NEWRON on the web in a blog format, to increase readership and improve distribution.

Curriculum
An email will be sent out soon by C. Smith requesting information for purposes of compiling a list of suggested courses to take.

Essay Contest
Revisions are still underway for the latest version of the Essay Contest. N. Bhanpuri will provide a new version soon.

Summer Seminar Series
A. Wong had us saccading wildly for his presentation about Predictive Saccades and Adaptation. We also look with anticipation to C. Smith’s talk next week.

For Incoming Students: 2007

2007-07-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-07-28T08:00:00.001-07:00

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?

2007-07-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-07-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

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&amp;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.