Mental health could be considered a new frontier, one where the undiscovered landscape exists mostly in the brain. In this space, there are vast numbers of people impacted by mental illness, and there is a profound opportunity for science and technology to play an important role in bettering the human condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health disorders are among the most common health conditions in the United States. And more than half of us will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in our lives. Although great strides have been made in recent years in the development of potent drugs that treat symptoms of many types of mental illnesses, the underlying mechanisms of most of these diseases are still not well understood.

This summer, UW ECE labs are hosting five outstanding undergraduate students from across the country who are learning about neurotechnology through immersive research experiences, interactive courses and workshops. The students are part of a larger cohort placed at labs across the UW campus to take part in the Research Experience for Undergraduates through the Center for Neurotechnology. This 10-week summer program is funded by the National Science Foundation and facilitated by the Center, which is co-directed by UW ECE faculty members Rajesh Rao and Chet Moritz.