Biomedical research at URI has already led to the development of instruments that will be used to help treat debilitating medical problems.
The average human brain has somewhere in the order of 100 billion neurons that control how we speak, walk, sleep, and feel. When those neurons misfire, medical problems like seizures or Parkinson’s Disease occur. Engineers at the University of Rhode Island are applying electrical engineering expertise, signal processing and instrumentation to the analysis of electrical signals from human nerves and their work is making an impact in the field of neuroengineering research. Tapping into the human nervous system allows the creation of brain-machine interfaces that can predict seizures, control prosthetics, and diagnose diseases.
URI researchers are also exploring the role of electrical signals in other systems and using that knowledge to find cures. Kunal Mankodiya is creating wearable systems that are capable of non-invasively tracking important patient metrics. Professor Ying Sun and Adjunct Professor Jack Salisbury are using ultrasound to learn more about the causes of sleep apnea. Associate Professor Fredrick Vetter’s research is shedding new light on electrophysiology’s role in heart attacks and cardiac diseases. And Professor Samantha Meenach is developing drug delivery vehicles capable of penetrating physiological barriers like tumors, the mucus barrier of the lung or the blood-brain barrier.
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Faculty
Professor and Department Chair
Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering
401.874.9518
gbothun@uri.edu
Distinguished Engineering Professor
Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering
401.874.2804
bosea@uri.edu
Victor Baxt Professor
Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering / Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
401.874.4303
smeenach@uri.edu
Associate Professor and Graduate Director
Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering
401.874.2678
roxbury@uri.edu
Associate Professor
Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
401.874.5368
yalda_shahriari@uri.edu
Associate Professor and Graduate Director
Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering
401.874.9067
cyuan@uri.edu