Neuroscientists have recently made significant progress in understanding how brain circuits govern different aspects of normal and abnormal behaviors utilizing new neural interfacing tools. On the other hand, clinical doctors have also started to apply the newly developed neural interfacing technologies for diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimber’s disease, epilepsy, and depression. Advanced biomaterials and bioelectronics are playing increasingly significant roles in neural interfacing technology developments, with examples ranging from conductive polymers for low impedance neural recording interface, flexible/stretchable electronics for biocompatible neural interface with minimal immune response, to magnetic nanoparticles based technology for non-invasive neural stimulation. However, there are still pressing needs for developing new neural interfacing systems that combine multiple desirable properties for neural recordings and modulation, such as high spatiotemporal resolution, cell-type specificity, large areas, minimum invasiveness, and long-term stability. The focus of this symposium will discuss the current materials-enabled approaches for achieving unprecedented performance in these desirable properties, including the design of advanced nanomaterials and organic materials, novel fabrication technologies for electronic devices, innovative formulation strategies for therapeutic delivery to the nervous system, as well as synergistic strategies that combine the innovations of materials science and genetic/protein engineering. These emerging neural interfacing approaches encompass a wide range of modalities, ranging from electrical, optical, magnetic, to ultrasound. With these emerging neural interfacing technologies, we expect future abilities to study the brain and treat neurological diseases with heretofore impossible resolution and precision.

biological biomaterial nanoscale