ECE Seminar: "Device Engineering to Advance Neuroscience and Medicine: From Atoms to Bits.”

Content

Abstract:

Progress in neural interfacing devices is transforming our understanding of the brain and the treatment of neurological conditions and injuries.  As Richard Feynman famously claimed in 1959, “there’s plenty of room at the bottom” regarding nanotechnology, I argue that the same is true today about neural device engineering.  In this talk, I will support this argument by presenting recent neuroelectronic advances from my group, all of which are enabled by fundamental innovations in materials and devices, often at the nanoscale.  Of particular interest are neural device research efforts that integrate materials science, electrical engineering, and neural engineering, all on polymeric substrates—a clear departure from Si, the predominant material used in neural probes.  We envision that the development and translation of promising neural devices will redefine what’s possible in neuroscience and medicine. 

Short Bio:

Hui Fang received his B.S. degree in 2009 from Tsinghua University and his Ph.D. degree in 2014 from the University of California, Berkeley, both in Materials Science and Engineering.  He was then a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2014 to 2016.  After starting his independent career in August 2016, he joined Dartmouth College in July 2021 as an Associate Professor of Engineering.  Fang’s research interests encompass the fields of neuroelectronics, electronic materials, and semiconductor devices.  His research has been recognized by multiple awards, including an NSF CAREER Award (2019) and Dartmouth Engineering’s Distinguished Research Award for Faculty (2025).  Dr. Fang directs the Micro/Nano-Fabrication Facility at Dartmouth and also serves as a standing member of the Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering for Neuroscience (BTEN) study section at the National Institutes of Health.