Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials for Neural Interrogation
Dr. Polina Anikeeva, Career Development Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Monday, February 23, 2015
3:05 – 3:55 p.m.
SMBB 2650

Abstract

The mammalian nervous system is often compared to an electrical circuit, and its dynamics and function are governed by ionic currents across the membranes of neurons. Many neurological disorders are characterized by inhibited/amplified neural activity in a particular region or lack of communication between the two regions of the nervous system. Current approaches to treatment of these disorders have limited effectiveness, and often rely on mechanically invasive and bulky devices. There is a pressing need for biocompatible materials and devices allowing for precise minimally invasive manipulation and monitoring of neural activity.

In Bioelectronics Group, we are taking two complimentary materials approaches to neural recording and stimulation: (1) Flexible polymer and hybrid optoelectronic fibers for intimate neural interfaces; (2) Magnetic nanomaterials for minimally invasive manipulation of neural activity. In my talk, I will illustrate how a fabrication process inspired by optical fiber production yields flexible multifunctional probes capable of optical, electronic and pharmacological interfaces with neural tissues in vivo. I will then demonstrate how these fiber-based neural probes can be tailored to applications within a specific part of nervous system such as the brain or spinal cord. Finally, my talk will cover materials synthesis and physics that enable minimally invasive neural stimulation via functional fusion of magnetic nanomaterials and ion channels on neuronal membranes. I will describe applications of the remote magnetothermal paradigm in stimulation of intact brain circuits, and illustrate how materials design can enable multiple interrogation modalities with alternating magnetic fields.

Biography

Dr. Polina Anikeeva received her BS in Physics from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University in 2003. After graduation she spent a year at Los Alamos National Lab where she worked on developing photovoltaic cells based on semiconductor quantum dots. She then enrolled in a PhD program in Materials Science at MIT and graduated in January 2009 with her thesis dedicated to the design of light emitting devices based on organic materials and nanoparticles. She completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University, where she developed implantable devices for simultaneous optical stimulation and high- throughput electronic recording from neural circuits during free behavior. Polina joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in July 2011 as AMAX career development assistant professor. Her lab at MIT focuses on the development of flexible and minimally invasive materials and devices for neural recording, stimulation and repair. She is also a recipient of NSF CAREER Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, and the Dresselhaus Fund Award among others.