BIG congratulations to George. The Human Frontier Science Program granted his proposal on developing novel large scale neural interface devices
Dr. George Spyropoulos, who just had finished his PhD at i-MEET few weeks ago, won a prestigious HFSP award. HFSP is an international program of research support, funding frontier research on the complex mechanisms of living organisms. Research is funded at all levels of biological complexity from biomolecules to the interactions between organisms. The members of the HFSPO, the so-called Management Supporting Parties (MSPs) are the contributing countries and the European Union, which contributes on behalf of the non-G7 EU members.
George based his proposal on know-how developed during his thesis, where he explored novel conductive composites. Motivated by the concepts for biological compatible electrode materials he developed concepts for large-scale devices monitoring the brain and demonstrating that neuronal computation arises from interactions of numerous neuronal populations. Yet, methods that allow for large-scale recording of activity at high spatial resolution and for extended time periods are lacking. To meet this challenge, George proposed to design, develop and test novel large-scale neural interface devices that will allow long-term, high spatiotemporal resolution, stable recording and stimulation of neural activity by injecting polymers into the scalp. These devices, and the data generated by them, will be used to address key questions in systems neuroscience. He aims to investigate the coupling mechanisms of neural oscillations between functionally distinct brain regions, and identify how different oscillations generate unique spatial and temporal patterns of activity. The ability to acquire, stimulate, and analyze neural network simultaneously from multiple brain regions will enhance comprehension of neural network processes and has implications for brain disorders characterized by disordered network function.