Shanghai center to focus on brain-computer interface tech

Fudan University in Shanghai inaugurated a center on Saturday that will focus on innovative technologies to address challenges in brain health improvement, brain disease treatment and neurological rehabilitation.

The Neuromodulation and Brain-Machine Interface Center aims to make breakthroughs in disruptive technologies and develop related medical and healthcare applications.

Brain-computer interface technology, a revolutionary form of human-computer interaction, bypasses traditional peripheral nerves and muscles. It establishes direct communication and a control channel between the human brain and the external world, opening new possibilities for treating brain diseases and restoring motor functions and communication abilities that have been lost due to illness or trauma.

In recent years, brain-computer interface technology has been widely adopted for clinical treatment, rehabilitation and brain training, benefiting millions of people. It has enabled people with hearing loss to hear again, the visually impaired to see, those with depression to regain happiness, and disabled patients to control robotic arms.

"Following over half a century of exploration and significant milestone breakthroughs, 2023 was heralded as the 'initial year' of brain-computer interface technology by the journal Nature Electronics," the director of the center, Wang Shouyan, said.

Wang, who is also vice-dean of Fudan's Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, said the university established the center in response to the impending expansion of brain-computer interface research and related industries.

The university's extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, encompassing neural engineering, brain-inspired intelligence and clinical neuroscience, positions it to accelerate progress from fundamental research to technological innovation, and ultimately to clinical and industrial applications, he said.

The center has identified three primary research directions: the mechanisms of neuromodulation; the development of brain-machine interactive neuromodulation technology; and clinical translation. It aims to integrate basic neuroscience, technology and clinical applications to cross disciplinary boundaries.

Eight institutions at the university, including the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Institutes of Brain Science, School of Data Science, Huashan Hospital, Children's Hospital, and Shanghai Cancer Center, will collaborate on the center's initiatives.

Wang said establishing the center will expedite the translation of cutting-edge research in neuromodulation and brain-machine interface into clinical and industrial applications.

His team has already developed various transcranial and peripheral noninvasive neuromodulation devices, now applied clinically for treating conditions such as insomnia, headache and depression.

Professor Xu Kailiang's work on ultra-high-speed, super-resolution ultrasound imaging has led to a breakthrough in creating a brain-computer interface system.

Over the past decade, the fields of neuromodulation and brain-computer interface have gradually converged, revealing a scientific development trajectory that includes decoding brain functions related to movement, speech, memory and consciousness; neural function modulation and reconstruction; brain-machine interactive neuromodulation; and brain-inspired intelligence and digital life.

"Fudan University's research comprehensively encompasses the last three stages" Wang said.

The center will also serve as a think tank in the fields of neuromodulation and brain-computer interface. The technology was recognized as a key research area in China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) and has been highlighted as a critical future industry by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.