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.
URI Engineering Fulbright Scholar! - Heather DiFazio ’23 will conduct research at the University of Bern, Switzerland, relating to the development of an artificial intelligence module for a surgical intraoperative diagnostic device that can differentiate between tumors and healthy tissue. DiFazio is a graduating senior in URI’s International Engineering Program, majoring in biomedical engineering and German. She is from […]
URI’s New Electron Probe Microanalyzer Is First of Its Kind In United States - A $1.3 million electron probe microanalyzer has been added to the the Shimadzu Engineering Research Core Facility at URI. This version of the high-powered microscope has been sold in Japan, but it is the only one in the United States.
Equipment and Expertise in URI’s Engineering Core Labs Available for Industry and Academic Partners - The core research facilities in URI’s College of Engineering features some of the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment found anywhere. Valued at millions of dollars, the devices are available for use by researchers in industry or academia.
Assistive Technology Implemented in Biomedical Engineering Projects - Seniors in this year’s biomedical engineering capstone design course presented their year-long projects. Most of the designs integrated technology to help individuals with disabilities perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.
Faculty
Assistant Professor
Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
401.874.4102 – reza_abiri@uri.edu
Associate Professor
Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
401.874.5368 – yalda_shahriari@uri.edu
