Stroke is a killer, and for those who survive, it can have a devastating impact. According to the World Stroke Organization, the disease is a leading cause of death and disability globally, causing an estimated 5.5 million deaths and 116 million years of healthy life to be lost each year. It is also a very common experience. One in four adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime. So, why is this disease so deadly and debilitating? The answer to that question has to do in part with how stroke can cause the connections between neurons in the brain to deteriorate, break or disappear entirely, often resulting in death, loss of bodily functions and disability. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease.
Feature Stories
These articles cover many different aspects of the Center for Neurotechnology and its faculty, student and staff members. For more stories, visit the Engage and Enable blog
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Friday, July 23, 2021
Last year, some summer programs at the Center for Neurotechnology were cancelled because of health concerns surrounding COVID-19; however, the Center’s education staff remained undaunted. They reimagined and reshaped curricula so that almost all CNT summer programs could be offered this year by providing an online, virtual learning experience for participants. The move to remote learning, forced by the pandemic, also had an unexpected benefit. It allowed the CNT to expand its education programs to a wider audience.
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Center for Neurotechnology Co-Director Rajesh Rao recently received a two-year grant through the Weill Neurohub, which will provide him and his collaborators with funding to develop a new type of brain-computer interface capable of restoring injured neural circuits in the brain. The interface, called a “brain co-processor,” couples artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, such as artificial neural networks, with their biological counterparts in the brain, allowing the co-processor and brain to learn alongside each other. This innovative approach offers a new way to heal the brain, restore function and even augment the brain’s ability to process information.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
At the age of 27, Jessie Owen was in a devastating car accident that left her with a severe spinal cord injury. She lost much of the function in her hands, arms and legs, and she was diagnosed with central spinal cord syndrome. Her brain’s ability to send and receive signals to and from the parts of her body below her neck was severely impaired. She had to take a leave of absence from her job as a teacher, and she has since been dependent on a wheelchair and caregivers for day-to-day living.
Friday, March 26, 2021
Growing up, Abhivyakti (Abhi) Gautam was most excited on Tuesday, because on that day, she could spend a whole additional hour during school playing basketball or tennis. A national level tennis player, Gautam was born in India to the son and daughter, respectively, of two school principals who had both laid the foundation of India’s education system after the country won its independence in 1947.
