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设备，这些设备将与活的神经系统交互、整合和/或模拟。恢复视力、听力或活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、微制造和神经建模方面的最新进展的支持。在这个不断发展的领域，学生的培训必须强调生物系统和人工系统之间的细胞和分子接口。随着对神经工程技术的产业投资不断增加，以及全国各地涌现出越来越多的神经工程研究中心和研究生项目，现在培养这一领域的本科生是合适的，也是有利的。本科一级的神经工程培训发展缓慢，这是因为传统上将必要的技能(神经科学和工程学)分开的做法阻碍了这一进程。UIC生物工程和生物科学系已经在为期两年的跨学院努力中解决了这个问题，以建立全国首批本科神经工程专业之一。在咨询委员会的协商下，我们组织了一门神经工程课程，最终形成了一门新的顶峰课程[BioE/bios 475]。这门课程在2000年春季由PI/COPI作为试点教授，只有最低限度的实验室部分。我们现在正在调整当代研究工作中的工程神经系统和测量技术，以便在这个本科生学习环境中使用。这将提供实践经验和技术培训，堪称当前神经工程趋势的典范。具体地说，我们正在开发两个新的学习模块，作为神经工程中当前问题的典范。本课程的目标是强调神经系统的应用驱动设计。相应地，每个模块的主题都改编自教师的研究，涉及：a)培养在微电极阵列上的神经元，展示生物传感器和植入式神经假体的制造和原理，以及b)在无机衬底上形成的神经电路，展示用于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中进行细胞水平的测量。我们预计将有1/3的生物工程学生和同等数量的生物学生遵循神经工程课程的轨道，大约有40名学生在最初的资助期内参加Capstone课程。UIC调查研究实验室正在对教学方法和实现课程目标进行评估。这笔赠款发起的所有培训创新将成为我们课程的永久组成部分，并将传播到其他大学，并将通过与UIC数学和科学教育研究所的合作，用于加强对中级科学教师的培训。

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.