Please join the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI) Seminar Series featuring Allison Hess-Dunning. Dr. Hess-Dunning will present "Cloaking Neural Interfaces: Materials and Microdevices Toward Improving Integration with the Brain" on April 10 at 4:10 p.m. in Walter 135 or virtually on Teams.

We would like to express our appreciation to Cherie D'Mello, undergraduate physics student, for inviting Dr. Hess-Dunning to participate in our Seminar series this spring semester. Ms. D'Mello will be co-hosting the event alongside Dr. Sumit Sharma.

Abstract: Intracortical neural interfaces hold promise for restoring motor, sensory, and communication functions in individuals with neurologic injury or disease. However, conventional devices are mechanically rigid, triggering chronic biological disruption and neuroinflammation that ultimately lead to performance degradation and device failure. In this talk, I will present our development of multifunctional neural probes that combine nanoscale material engineering with strategies for biological integration. Our approach centers on a bio-inspired polymer nanocomposite that transitions from stiff to soft in vivo, reducing mechanical mismatch with brain tissue and promoting more seamless integration. I will discuss our microfabrication strategies for integrating recording microelectrodes onto this mechanically adaptive substrate. The talk will highlight our investigation of the chronic performance of a multifunctional neural interface device that combines mechanical compliance, local therapeutic delivery, electrophysiological recording, and evaluation of tissue responses to the implant using gene expression analysis. Additionally, I will discuss the integration of alternative drug delivery strategies and our development of electrochemical sensors for inflammatory markers. Our interdisciplinary work connects nanoscale material properties to systems-level performance in the brain and is critical to our broader goal of building neural interfaces that seamlessly couple engineered electronics and biological systems.