Biosensing and biorobotics laboratory

1. Neurotechnology & Neural Interfaces

We develop next-generation technologies that directly interface with the nervous system to record, stimulate, and manipulate neural activity with high precision. Our work spans electrophysiology, neural interfaces, flexible bioelectronics, and neuromodulation technologies that enable stable, high-resolution measurements across diverse experimental settings.

Selected Publications

• Hu J., Hossain R.F., Navabi Z.S., et al. Fully desktop fabricated flexible graphene electrocorticography (ECoG) arrays. Journal of Neural Engineering, 2023.

• Donaldson P.D., Navabi Z.S., Carter R.E., et al. Polymer Skulls With Integrated Transparent Electrode Arrays for Cortex‐Wide Opto‐Electrophysiological Recordings. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2022.

• Suk H.J., van Welie I., Kodandaramaiah S.B., et al. Closed-loop real-time imaging enables fully automated cell-targeted patch-clamp neural recording in vivo. Neuron, 2017.

• Grossman N., Bono D., Dedic N., Kodandaramaiah S.B., et al. Noninvasive Deep Brain Stimulation via Temporally Interfering Electric Fields. Cell, 2017.

2. Optical Imaging & Biosensing

We create advanced optical imaging platforms that enable large-scale recording of neural activity in freely behaving animals. By combining miniaturized microscopes, wide-field imaging, and novel optical instrumentation, we seek to observe brain-wide neural dynamics at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales.

Selected Publications

• Hu J., Cherkkil A., Surinach D.A., et al. Pan-cortical cellular imaging in freely behaving mice using a miniaturized micro-camera array microscope (mini-MCAM). Science Advances, 2025.

• Rynes M.L., Surinach D.A., Linn S., et al. Miniaturized head-mounted microscope for whole-cortex mesoscale imaging in freely behaving mice. Nature Methods, 2021.

• Kodandaramaiah S.B., Rynes M.L., Surinach D.A., et al. Mesoscale Calcium Imaging in Freely Behaving Mice. Methods Book Chapter, 2024.

• Cramer S.W., Carter R.E., Aronson J.D., Kodandaramaiah S.B., et al. Through the looking glass: a review of cranial window technology for optical access to the brain. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2021.

• Nietz A.K., Popa L.S., Streng M.L., et al. Wide-field calcium imaging of neuronal network dynamics in vivo. Biology, 2022.

3. Robotics, Automation & Precision Engineering

We develop robotic and computer vision–guided systems that automate complex neuroscience procedures with high precision and reproducibility. These technologies reduce experimental variability while enabling new capabilities ranging from microsurgery and microinjection to robotic neural recording platforms.

Selected Publications

• Hope J., Beckerle T.M., Cheng P.H., et al. Brain-wide neural recordings in mice navigating physical spaces enabled by robotic neural recording headstages. Nature Methods, 2024.

• Navabi Z.S., Peters R., Gulner B., et al. Computer vision–guided rapid and precise automated cranial microsurgeries in mice. Science Advances, 2025.

• Oladepo I., Saxena K., Surinach D., et al. Computer vision–guided open-source active commutator for neural imaging in freely behaving animals. Neurophotonics, 2024.

• Polenghi M., O'Brien J., Restelli E., Kodandaramaiah S.B., Taverna E. ML-guided robotic microinjection of single neurons in human brain organoids. bioRxiv, 2026.

• Shull G., Haffner C., Huttner W.B., Taverna E., Kodandaramaiah S.B. Manipulation of single neural stem cells and neurons in brain slices using robotic microinjection. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2021.

4. Systems Neuroscience & Brain Function

We apply our technologies to investigate how distributed neural circuits generate behavior, learning, navigation, and cognition. By combining large-scale neural recordings with quantitative behavioral analysis, we study neural dynamics across multiple brain regions during natural behavior and neurological disorders.

Selected Publications

• Haley S.P., Surinach D.A., Nietz A.K., et al. Cortex-wide characterization of decision-making neural dynamics during spatial navigation. Nature Communications, 2026.

• Peters R., Hope J., Feldkamp M., et al. Coordinated Representational Drift Across the Mouse Cortex. bioRxiv, 2026.

• Streng M.L., Kottke B.W., Wasserman E.M., et al. Early and widespread cerebellar engagement during hippocampal seizures and interictal discharges. Neurobiology of Disease, 2025.

• Streng M.L., Carter R.E., Kottke B.W., et al. Purkinje cell spatial correlation dynamics are key to cerebellar cortical contributions to behavior. Journal of Neuroscience, 2025.

• Surinach D., Rynes M.L., Saxena K., et al. Strategy dependent recruitment of distributed cortical circuits during spatial navigation. Research Square, 2023.

5. Translational Neuroengineering

We translate neurotechnology into tools for understanding and treating neurological disorders. Our research combines advanced imaging, neural interface technologies, and systems neuroscience approaches to study traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and other diseases affecting brain function.

Selected Publications

• Gray C.W., Dieterle K., Duff K.G., et al. Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation to Augment Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Following Traumatic Brain Injury. Annual Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, 2025.

• Cramer S.W., Haley S.P., Popa L.S., et al. Wide-field calcium imaging reveals widespread changes in cortical functional connectivity following mild traumatic brain injury in the mouse. Neurobiology of Disease, 2023.

• Niemeyer J.E., Luo P., Pons C., et al. Seizure network characterization by functional connectivity mapping and manipulation. Neurophotonics, 2025.

• Gray C., Tse D., Kodandaramaiah S.B., Tithof J. In vivo measurements reveal alteration of vessel pulsations and cerebrospinal fluid flow with age. APS March Meeting, 2024.