Dr. Abbas is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Currently, he serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation and Frontiers in Neuroengineering, is an Associate Editor for the IEEE EMBS and Neural Engineering Conferences and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Data Resource Center of the NIH SPARC Initiative. Dr. Abbas received his B.S. in bioelectrical engineering from Brown University and then taught secondary school mathematics and worked on public health projects in Malawi as a US Peace Corps volunteer. He received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Abbas’ research program develops and applies neural engineering techniques in the areas of medical rehabilitation and exercise. His research includes the design and development of neurotechnology, the development and use of computational models, and experimental evaluation of neurotechnology and rehabilitation systems in human subjects.

Diego focuses his work on providing researchers with a robust framework for the conduct of efficient clinical trials. He maintains study master files and advises researchers with the purpose of guaranteeing that research is conducted in compliance with Institutional Review Boards and granting agencies. In addition, he designs electronic data capture and clinical trial management instruments that simplify the workflow of research operations. Among his most crucial responsibilities, Diego supervises the recruitment, screening, and enrollment of human participants as well as the subsequent collection and archiving of experimental data.

Native to Venezuela, Diego holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Florida International University, and his experience pulls from a background in clinical research that dates to his very first job during college years. As a researcher, he is motivated by serving at the crossroads of creativity and discovery and takes pride in supporting his colleagues through the visionary endeavors undertaken at the Institute.

 

I graduated with my B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oklahoma in 2021, and since then have worked as a research assistant/technician in a variety of areas, including microbiology and molecular biology. I have experience cultivating microorganisms including anaerobes and polymicrobial cultures, performing bacterial growth curves, extracting and purifying DNA and RNA from in vivo and in vitro samples, and delivering plasmid DNA to bacterial strains via electroporation. I also have experience leading animal experiments, mainly using a murine wound model. I plan to start graduate school soon, and am leaning towards a biology or microbiology degree, though I am also interested in environmental science.

Dr. Jung joined U of A in December 2021 and serves as an endowed chair, Distinguished Professor of biomedical engineering, and associate vice-chancellor. Her experience includes serving as interim Dean and Department Chair in a College of Engineering and Computing. Professor Jung’s research is at the cutting edge between engineering and neuroscience, developing devices that lead to scientific advances with clear pathways to clinical application. A champion for innovation and entrepreneurship, her team developed the first wireless, implantable neural-interface system for restoring sensations to individuals with upper-limb amputation and received FDA approval to conduct a first-in-human trial. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering Society she holds 14 U.S. patents, has founded a company, and has authored more than 130 publications. She is also appointed to the US National Institutes of Health National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Jung received her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, USA and her Bachelor’s with Distinction, in Electronics & Communication Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India.

Sathyakumar (Sathya) received his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, USA and his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from BITS Pilani, India. As a Research Engineer in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Florida International University (FIU), Sathya was a key member of a multi-disciplinary team that developed and deployed a fully implantable neural-interface system for restoring sensations to individuals with upper-limb amputation. Sathya has experience with securing FDA approval to perform a clinical trial of a novel implantable medical device. He is also experienced in developing research software for clinical use and conducting research involving human participants. He also has over five years of experience with managing projects involving academic-industry-clinician collaborations. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on developing fitting procedures for electrical nerve stimulation systems.

At the Institute, Kuntaegowdanahalli supports technology development activities of academic researchers and industry collaborators, with an emphasis on system integration and the full spectrum of regulatory processes and approvals.

Arianna is a doctoral student from Venezuela at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research. She moved to the U.S in 2018 to pursue a doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering. Arianna graduated as a Chemical Engineer from Universidad Simon Bolivar, one of the most prestigious universities in Venezuela, in February 2015. She worked for 3 years at Johnson & Johnson where she was able to develop technical and leadership skills. She published one review paper in 2019. She also mentored an undergraduate student who is now accepted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for postbaccalaureate studies. 

She is currently working with pre-clinical models to determine optimal paradigms for stimulation of nerves to achieve selective activation of nerve fibers. She is working on a National Institutes of

Health Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience project along with groups from Arizona State University, Washington University, Université de Bordeaux and Université de Cergy-Pontoise from France.

Dr. Pena focuses on the research, development, and translation of neurotechnology to offset the effects of injury or disease.

He received bachelor’s degrees in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, and a PhD in Biomedical engineering from Florida International University. He has training and expertise in neural engineering and neuromodulation approaches for understanding neural function and providing rehabilitation after trauma. He also has experience with human subject psychophysical testing and computational modelling. He is currently spearheading efforts to develop a business framework that will facilitate translation and commercialization of novel neurotechnology.

Aliyah is a fourth-year doctoral student majoring in Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Institute for Innovative and Integrative Research. She is the recipient of the National Science Foundation Bridge-to-Doctorate Fellowship, Florida Education Fund (FEF) McKnight Fellowship and received an Honorable Mention for the National Science Foundation

Graduate Fellowship Program in 2020. Shell received her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University - New Brunswick in May 2019. Her past experiences include holding a position as an Engineering Intern at Nouveau Prosthetics & Orthotics, and two positions at MTF Biologics as a Product Development Co-op and Packaging & Sustainability Engineer. Her research interests include understanding brain function and the use of virtual reality environments to offer rehabilitative therapies for those with neurological deficits. 

Anil earned a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has been working in the various fields of Biomedical Engineering for more than 15 years and has experience in preclinical and clinical studies. Thota has played key roles in the development of a novel implantable system to interface with peripheral nerves and a one-of-a-kind mobile app as a diagnostic tool (aid) for balance problems in people with sports concussion. The mobile app is being adapted for use in Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Parkinson's disease. He is highly experienced in designing experimental protocols and testing processes to ensure the data collection process is repeatable and to obtain reliable outcome measures. Thota was granted two patents (primary contributor) for his creativity in developing processes for fabricating, deploying, and managing neural electrodes. He has published scientific outcomes in 16 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and presented research findings at 35 national and international conferences. 

He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on developing technology to simplify the process of implanting electrodes into peripheral nerves. 

At the Institute, Thota supports academic researchers and industry collaborators as they perform acute and long-term studies in pre-clinical models, with an emphasis in the food-tech and healthtech sectors.