Development of Laboratory Experiences in Neural Engineering

生物科学（61）;工程（59）学术和商业研究团队正在迅速接近新一代的设备，将互动，纳入和/或模拟生活神经系统。恢复视力、听力或行动能力的神经假体将提供更广泛的功能;机器人设备将通过神经形态控制系统变得更有效。神经工程是这些发展背后的智力力量，得到了细胞神经生物学，微制造和神经建模的最新进展的支持。在这个不断发展的领域的学生培训必须强调生物和人工系统之间的细胞和分子界面。随着神经工程技术的工业投资不断增长，以及全国各地涌现的神经工程研究中心和研究生课程越来越多，现在培养这一领域的本科生既合适又有利。本科阶段的神经工程培训发展缓慢，受到传统独立课程（神经科学和工程）中所需技能划分的阻碍。UIC生物工程和生物科学系在为期两年的跨学院努力中解决了这个问题，建立了该国首批本科神经工程课程之一。在咨询委员会的协商，我们已经组织了一个神经工程课程，最终在一个新的顶点课程[生物E/生物475]。本课程是由PI/CoPI在2000年春季作为试点教授的，只有最少的实验室部分。我们现在正在调整工程神经系统和测量技术，从当代的研究工作，在这个本科学习环境中使用。这将提供神经工程当前趋势的实践经验和技术培训。具体来说，我们正在开发两个新的学习模块，以反映神经工程领域的当前问题。课程目标是强调神经系统的应用驱动设计。一致地，每个模块的主题都是从教师的研究中改编的，涉及：a）在微电极阵列上培养的神经元，展示生物传感器和植入式神经假体的制造和原理，以及B）在无机基底上图案化的神经电路，说明生物计算和复杂混合假体的神经形态设备的进展。一个重要的目标是使学生能够从这些工程神经系统进行细胞水平的测量。我们预计，1/3的生物工程专业学生和同等数量的生物学专业学生将遵循神经工程课程的轨道，大约有40名学生在最初的拨款期间参加顶点课程。国际学院调查研究实验室正在对教学法和课程目标的实现情况进行评估。所有的培训创新由这个补助金发起将成为我们的课程的永久组成部分，将传播到其他大学，并将用于通过与UIC研究所数学和科学教育合作，加强中学科学教师的培训。

Biological Sciences (61); Engineering (59)Academic and commercial research teams are rapidly approaching a new generation of devices that will interact with, incorporate, and/or emulate living nervous systems. Neural prostheses to restore sight, hearing, or mobility will offer a wider range of function; robotic devices will become more effective with neuromorphic control systems. Neural Engineering is the intellectual force behind these developments, supported by recent advances in cellular neurobiology, microfabrication and neural modeling. Student training in this evolving area must emphasize the cellular and molecular interfaces between biological and artificial systems. With a growing industrial investment in Neural Engineering technologies, and the increasing number of Neural Engineering research centers and graduate programs emerging across the country, it is both appropriate and advantageous to now train undergraduate students in this area. Training in Neural Engineering at the undergraduate level has been slow to develop, impeded by the compartmentalization of the requisite skills in traditionally separate curricula (Neuroscience and Engineering). The UIC Departments of Bioengineering and Biological Sciences have addressed this problem in a two-year cross-college effort to establish one of the first undergraduate Neural Engineering programs in the country. In consultation with advisory committees, we have organized a Neural Engineering curriculum which culminates in a new capstone course [BioE/BioS 475]. This course was taught by the PI/CoPI as a pilot in Spring 2000 with a minimal laboratory component. We are now adapting engineered neural systems and measurement techniques from contemporary research efforts for use in this undergraduate learning environment. This will provide hands-on experience and technical training exemplary of current trends in Neural Engineering. Specifically, we are developing two new learning modules exemplary of current issues in neural engineering. The course objective is to emphasize application-driven design of neural systems. Concordantly, the themes for each module are being adapted from faculty research involving: a) Neurons cultured on a microelectrode array, demonstrating fabrication and principles of biosensors and implantable neuroprosthetics, and b) Neural circuits patterned on an inorganic substrate, illustrating progress toward neuromorphic devices for biocomputation and complex hybrid prostheses. An important goal is to enable students to make cellular-level measurements from these engineered neural systems. We expect that 1/3 of bioengineering students and an equal number of biology students will follow the Neural Engineering course track, with approximately 40 students taking the capstone course during the initial grant period. Evaluation of pedagogy and attainment of course goals are being undertaken by the UIC Survey Research Laboratory. All of the training innovations initiated by this grant will become a permanent part of our curriculum, will be disseminated to other universities, and will be used to enhance training of secondary level science teachers through collaboration with the UIC Institute for Math and Science Education.