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

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From classroom to industry: Students in Neural Engineering Tech Studio design user-centered devices

Thursday, March 28, 2019
By Aleenah Ansari

This CNT-led and facilitated course at the University of Washington teaches students about engineering design principles, particularly the importance of empathizing with neurotechnology end users.

Prior to entering his role as the Director of Industry and Innovation at the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT), Scott Ransom spent 20 years at Medtronic working in a range of roles related to medical device development.

“There wasn’t a week where a patient or their relatives weren’t expressing gratitude for the work we were doing,” Ransom said. “It was very fulfilling to see patients benefit. I want to inspire students to use bioengineering, electrical engineering [and other disciplines] in the neurotechnology space. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling career.”

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A member of team Frequent Fusion holds a model showing a segment of the spinal column after spinal fusion surgery, which is commonly used to fuse bones in the spinal cord to reduce chronic neck pain. For their prototype, the team designed an implantable rod connected to an electrical stimulator. The device encourages bone growth in the spinal column after surgery.

Brain Awareness Week Open House celebrates curiosity, engagement and neuroscience education for K-12 students

Wednesday, March 13, 2019
By Aleenah Ansari

The Brain Awareness Week Open House, organized by CNT Executive and Education Director, Eric Chudler, brings neuroscience to life every year for hundreds of elementary, middle and high school students from the Greater Seattle Area.

Many K-12 students learn about the brain and nervous system in their science coursework. However, most of these students don’t ever get the opportunity to talk to a neuroscientist and learn about his or her research. Founded by the Dana Foundation and the Society for Neuroscience, Brain Awareness Week promotes these kinds of unique interactions and encourages people of all ages, including K-12 students, to learn about the field of neuroscience and its applicability to everyday life.

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800 K-12 students from the Greater Seattle Area, along with their parents and teachers, participated in the 2019 Brain Awareness Week Open House. The event was held on the University of Washington Seattle campus, in the Husky Union Building.

CNT Hackathon encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking to develop neurotechnology

Friday, February 1, 2019
By Aleenah Ansari

Derived from a course for students to create solutions to neural engineering problems, the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) Hackathon is a weekend-long event where student teams have 36 hours to create novel technology that fulfills the CNT mission: Improve health and function by engineering neural devices.

“This hackathon is a chance to [focus on] neural work with engineering principles. I think it’s fun to commit yourself to a project for a weekend and have that to focus on,” said Jackson Chin, a hackathon participant and senior in bioengineering at the University of Washington (UW).

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Karley Benoff, Hackathon participant and UW graduate student in mechanical engineering, adjusts the prototype her team, Rehabilitation for Independent Seated Extension (RISE) designed.

New approach to spinal cord rehabilitation creates gradual changes that make a big difference

Thursday, December 20, 2018
By Wayne Gillam

Jessica Owen is a participant in one of the Center for Neurotechnology’s transcutaneous spinal stimulation studies, which is groundbreaking research aimed at noninvasively improving upper body function for people with spinal cord injury. Owen has discovered that gradual functional improvements she gained through her participation in the study have added up to a big difference in her quality of life, leading to increased independence.

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Jessica Owen performs a series of exercises involving putting differently-shaped blocks on wooden pegs while electrical stimulation is being applied to her spine. Megan Knoernschild, undergraduate researcher in the Moritz Lab, oversees. This form of physical therapy is designed to develop and restore fine motor skills in Owen’s hands.

When science teachers return for multiple years of the CNT’s Research Experience for Teachers program, everyone benefits

Monday, October 22, 2018
By Wayne Gillam

The Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program is supporting middle and high school teachers who return to the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) year-after-year, benefiting not only those teachers’ students and peer educators, but the CNT’s education programs and researchers as well.

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Middle school science teacher, Phelana Pang, has returned to the CNT and the RET program multiple times. Here, she is helping to facilitate a workshop for students in the CNT’s 2018 YSP-REACH program.

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