The Center for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces (CNBCI) under the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine hosted its third annual NeuroGateways Symposium on April 10-11 at the UAB Alumni House.
Drawing together leading experts in neuroengineering and neurotechnology from across the country, the event featured two days of dynamic presentations, poster sessions and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Established in 2021, the CNBCI has quickly positioned itself as a hub for groundbreaking neuroengineering research and translational innovation. This year’s symposium spotlighted pioneering work in neurorehabilitation, neuromodulation and neurodata—three themes central to the center’s goal of driving discovery and improving patient care through integrative neuroscience and engineering.
Sessions began early Thursday morning and extended into the afternoon on Friday. Attendees included researchers, clinicians, engineers, students and industry professionals.
This year’s program featured a robust lineup of speakers from UAB and other institutions, including both physicians and scientists at the forefront of the field. Among the highlights was a presentation titled “Exploring Consciousness,” delivered by Jasmine Thum, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery, whose expertise spans functional neurosurgery and movement disorders, like epilepsy.
In addition to the speaker sessions, attendees engaged with a wide range of poster presentations, offering a platform for early-career researchers and students to share their work and receive feedback from peers and mentors.
The symposium took place less than a year after the CNBCI was designated a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center (UWIRC)—a significant institutional milestone recognizing the center’s impact on research, education and clinical care.
Originally formed from the Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interface Initiative (NBCII), the CNBCI was created to catalyze collaborations across UAB’s schools and departments, uniting neurobiology, neuroimaging, neural interface technology and advanced analytics under one umbrella.
Today, the CNBCI is led by Nicole Bentley, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She is joined in leadership by Associate Professor of Radiology Mark Bolding, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering William “Jamie” Tyler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurobiology Kristina Visscher, Ph.D., and Professor of Neurology Harrison Walker, M.D.
For more information on the Center for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces and NeuroGateways Symposium, visit the center’s official website.