Research

Human circuit neuroscience for communication, brain-state dynamics, and therapy.

HuNeu studies distributed human brain networks using intracranial recordings, stimulation, functional imaging, and ultrasound to understand circuit mechanisms and translate them into individualized treatments.

Human communication circuits

We aim to understand how distributed brain networks generate speech and language. Using stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and human neurophysiology, we study cortical and subcortical circuits involved in speech production, language comprehension, and communication disorders such as hypokinetic dysarthria, vocal tremor, and spasmodic dysphonia. This work also supports future brain-computer interface trials for restoration of communication.

Thalamocortical physiology and brain-state dynamics

We define how interactions between the thalamus and cortex organize human brain function. Using sEEG, stimulation, and recordings across clinical contexts, we study thalamocortical physiology as it relates to epilepsy, pain, arousal, and consciousness. These studies ask how brain-state dynamics emerge from distributed circuit interactions and how those states can be measured and modulated.

Precision circuit therapeutics

We translate circuit-level discoveries into individualized treatments for neurological disease. This includes functional imaging and computational phenotyping for trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain, outcome studies in deep brain stimulation and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and preparation for low-intensity ultrasound studies for noninvasive neuromodulation. Across these efforts, the goal is to connect mechanism, patient phenotype, and treatment response.