May. 06, 2026
When Chengrui Li walks across the stage this Thursday at Commencement, it will be his final, and perhaps easiest, performance at Georgia Tech.
Between orchestra concerts, magic shows, and yo-yo exhibitions, Li thrives in the limelight. In fact, not much rattles his nerves considering the five years of pressure he endured studying computational neuroscience at Tech.
Before he returns to New York City to continue building brain-interface technologies at Meta, we caught up with Li to learn how he keeps such a cool head at Georgia Tech and beyond.
Graduate: Chengrui Li
Research Interests: Computational neuroscience, eye-tracking experiments and data analysis, statistical machine learning
Education: Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)
Faculty Advisor: School of CSE Assistant Professor Anqi Wu
What persuaded you to attend graduate school at Georgia Tech?
My undergraduate was at Sichuan University in China. We knew that the most cutting-edge technology and research were in the United States, so I participated in an undergraduate exchange program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, during my third year.
I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience while also becoming very proficient in math and computer science (CS). This led me to apply to the CSE Ph.D. program over others. Georgia Tech’s CS ranking is very high, and the CSE program is very interdisciplinary, which matched my expectations super well. I did attain a solid education in math and CS at Georgia Tech. I also advanced my interest in neuroscience and its application by studying mathematical models and algorithms.
What research project from Georgia Tech are you most proud of?
My variational importance sampling paper is a favorite. That one was based heavily on statistical inference. I spent many hours working through complicated derivation calculations, often half-awake and half-asleep after several late nights.
This paper confirmed to me, though, that innovative research requires both hard work and inspiration, and that this endeavor can be rewarding. The paper was selected as a top 5% spotlight paper at ICLR 2024, a world-leading conference on artificial intelligence research.
Could you share more about your role as a research scientist at Meta?
I have been working on Meta’s electromyography (EMG) neural band. This next-generation human-computer interaction device connects with and navigates Meta’s AI glasses.
With the neural band, you can use finger gestures to control the display content you see through the glasses, like swiping your thumb to scroll the screen, or writing on your lap as if you had a pen in your hand to send WhatsApp messages.
How did your Georgia Tech education prepare you for this role?
By pursuing my Ph.D., I am more proficient in critical thinking, math, coding, and presentation. During my interview, I demonstrated these skills and provided my publication records. This helped me land an internship, enabled my success in that role, and led to a full-time position. Additionally, my background in computational neuroscience best matched the work on the EMG neural band team at a big tech company.
What advice would you give someone interested in graduate school?
First, be clear whether a bachelor’s or master’s degree meets your work needs, or if you are truly interested in a scientific research topic. This interest should be based on your own passion, not the current trends. Interest is an important factor in deciding to pursue a Ph.D. because you have to like the topic and like it for a long time. A Ph.D. will require you to dive deep into a subject you must be genuinely curious about.
Second, we are in a new era with rapid advances in information technology. Time is an invaluable resource and is shaped by technology. You have to think more about your time, consider where and how you spend it, and embrace ways to use it more efficiently.
Can you tell us more about your hobbies and how you keep up with them?
I started learning violin when I was five years old, and magic tricks when I was 11. The brain is a supercomputer suitable for functional computation. Our brain is an interface between the objective and subjective, where computation plays a core role in integrating these exact mechanics into interpretations of the world. This realization was one of the important factors that inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. research in computational neuroscience.
Another comparison I’ve learned after playing violin for 23 years is that the cochlea in our inner ear is a fast Fourier Transformer that simultaneously computes the aesthetic of music for us. Performing magic tricks for 17 years taught me that all the occurrences of seemingly low-probability magic phenomena are achieved by either letting it be a certain event or exhausting all possibilities.
I also have other hobbies, like yo-yo balls. I enjoy performing all these skills in front of audiences. Performing brings me satisfaction when I see excitement and happiness from the people I entertain. I am very grateful to my parents for their cultivation and encouragement in doing things that bring me fulfillment. They taught me to be curious and explore my interests, to enjoy pastimes, and instilled the habit to not give up my passions. These were not secondary things that distracted me from coursework or Ph.D. research, but rather complementary parts of my life that bring out the best in me.
What is your favorite Georgia Tech memory?
I have a lot. For my research, I debated frequently with Anqi Wu, my advisor. These often went late into the night to defend my stances. These challenged my beliefs and made me a stronger scholar, for which I am grateful to Anqi for her time and patience.
I also enjoyed performing in the Georgia Tech symphony orchestra with our great conductor, Chaowen Ting. I was involved with the Georgia Tech Chinese Students and Scholars Association, where I showcased magic and yo-yo performances at organization events.
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Bryant Wine, Communications Officer
bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu
Apr. 28, 2026
Chris Rozell is giving the opening remarks at the ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.
A group of students is discussing a poster, and the presenter is giving an example during the first poster session.
A group of students and faculty is discussing a poster during the second poster session.
A group of students and faculty is discussing a capstone poster during the second poster session.
At Georgia Tech, undergraduate students are an integral part of the research enterprise – particularly when it comes to neuroscience. That dedication to undergraduate research was on full display on April 8, when more than 100 students from Atlanta-area universities gathered for the annual ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.
This student-run event, hosted by the Georgia Tech Student Neuroscience Association (SNA) and co-sponsored by the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) and the Neuroscience Undergraduate Program at Georgia Tech, aimed to bring together students and faculty from the broader Atlanta neuroscience community for an evening of data-blitz talks showcasing faculty research, undergraduate poster presentations, and catered networking.
“Our goal was to bridge the gap between Atlanta’s institutions and showcase the diversity of undergraduate research,” says Harshin Vijay, symposium director of SNA. “By bringing these groups together through SNA, we’re fostering an ecosystem where the next generation of scientists can exchange ideas and build collaborative networks essential for future innovation."
The impact of undergraduate neuroscience research is “more than bench to bedside,” said INNS Executive Director Chris Rozell at the event. “It’s about advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology to improve society through discovery and innovation. Undergraduate research catalyzes innovation – invigorating and advancing educational programs through collaboration that empowers society – fueling impact and fostering the community of next-generation scientists.”
Featuring more than 40 undergraduate posters, research topics ranged anywhere from the impact of music on associative memory to the role of taste projection neurons in Drosophila. Some students even examined their own coursework, either as a TA or their involvement with capstone research.
“There are neuroscientists in every College at Georgia Tech, and we have undergraduate neuroscience students performing research all over campus and in the broader Atlanta neuroscience community,” says Katharine McCann, the director of Undergraduate Research for Georgia Tech’s neuroscience program. “Events like this bring those students together to learn from each other and broaden their networks. It is exciting to see so many students passionate about their research.”
Four posters were awarded for their work:
Best Poster Design: “Role of Taste Projection Neurons in Drosophila Taste Processing”
- Hanti Jiang, Emory University
Best Presentation: “Neuroscience and Computer Science Roots of Pattern Recognition”
- Rishi Polepally, Georgia Tech
- Aryan Kumar, Georgia Tech
- Vedanth Natarajan, Georgia Tech
Best 4001 Group: “Evaluating Cognitive Engagement in AI-Generated VS. Human-Created Educational Content”
- Hannah Ammari, Georgia Tech
- Shobini Palaniappan, Georgia Tech
- Rayhan Quraishi, Georgia Tech
- Aryan Shah, Georgia Tech
- Divya Tadanki, Georgia Tech
People's Choice Award: “Vibration as an effective facilitation of sensorimotor learning in Blaptica dubia cockroaches”
- Diana Sethna, Georgia Tech
- Jacob Hayes, Georgia Tech
- Ellie Kate Watson, Georgia Tech
- Arya Oak, Georgia Tech
Esha Panse, Georgia Tech
- Hersh Mathur, Georgia Tech
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Writer: Hunter Ashcraft
Communications Student Assistant
Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society
Media Contact: Audra Davidson
Research Communications Program Manager
Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society
Apr. 13, 2026
Karen Rommelfanger recently joined Georgia Tech as a professor of the practice, where she will work with the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society to embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech’s research and technology development ecosystem. Photo via the Dana Foundation.
Karen Rommelfanger (left) is a leading voice in neuroethics, with years of experience bridging neuroscience, technology development, ethics, and public policy to address the societal impacts of emerging brain technologies.
Artificial intelligence has been touted as the most transformative technology of our time. With only a few years of mainstream use, it’s changed how we work and communicate, generated billions of dollars in investments, and sparked global debate. But according to leading neuroethics expert Karen Rommelfanger, the race isn’t over yet.
“Can you think of a more transformative technology than one that intervenes with the fundamental organ that drives your experience in the world?”
That fundamental organ is the brain.
Technologies interfacing directly with the brain have been reserved for treating severe injury or disease for decades. Now, neurotechnology is expanding into brain-responsive wearables meant to enhance, augment, and monitor everyday life. As these technologies accelerate and AI is incorporated, the question is no longer if neurotechnology will transform society, but how — and who will shape the boundaries.
These are some of the questions on which Karen Rommelfanger has built her career. Trained as a biomedical researcher and neuroscientist, Rommelfanger went on to found the Institute for Neuroethics, the world’s first think and do tank devoted entirely to neuroethics, public engagement, and policy implementation.
“The brain is special; it’s central to who we are,” says Rommelfanger, who was also an inaugural recipient of the Dana Foundation Neuroscience and Society Award. “And that means when you intervene with the brain, there are unique responsibilities. The field of neuroethics addresses things like: How do you ensure mental privacy? How do you protect free will? How do you ensure that people have the power to be narrators of their own lives and their cognitive experience?”
Now, Rommelfanger is joining Georgia Tech’s Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) as a professor of the practice, where she will work to further embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech’s research and technology development ecosystem.
“Georgia Tech is producing the next generation of neurotechnologists, and Karen’s expertise will help ensure we’re preparing them to think about societal impact as deeply as they think about the technical and scientific aspects of their work,” says Christopher Rozell, executive director of INNS. “Her leadership strengthens the Institute in exactly the way this moment in neurotechnology demands.”
“Georgia Tech has many, many ways that it leads in the technology ecosystem. But one of the powerful, unique ways it can lead is through neurotechnology,” says Rommelfanger. “I hope that the INNS, given its unique mandate for neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society, can be a lighthouse for these types of conversations.”
Neuroethics by Design
From institutional review boards to mandatory responsible research conduct training, ethics are a foundational part of scientific research. But designing neurotechnologies raises ethical challenges beyond the scope of typical training. What happens when discoveries leave the lab and enter people’s lives?
That question sits at the core of Rommelfanger’s work. She argues it’s a neurotechnologist’s responsibility to recognize and proactively address the need for unique safeguards for privacy, autonomy, and long-term responsibility. Her solution is to move neuroethics upstream, embedding it directly into the research, design, and deployment of neurotechnology through an approach she calls “neuroethics by design.”
“Neuroethics by design considers ethics as a core criterion where principles can drive innovation with more of a lens toward societal outcomes,” she says — an approach informed by years of advising national-level brain research initiatives and her experience at the intersection of clinical practice and ethics scholarship.
Rather than treating ethics as a compliance checklist or a post hoc review, neuroethics by design integrates ethical thinking throughout the entire innovation lifecycle, from early ideation and research questions to product requirements, governance strategies, and long-term sustainability. She has used the approach for years as an embedded partner for neurotechnology startups in her neuroethics consultancy, Ningen Co-Lab.
After decades as a traditional academic professor and then years advising companies and policymakers with this philosophy, Rommelfanger says Georgia Tech is the right place to scale this work. With its strength in neurotechnology and INNS’s rare focus on neuroscience and society, “I could not think of a better place to launch and pilot this neuroethics by design scaling effort.”
She will work with INNS to help equip researchers, students, and industry partners with practical tools for ethical decision-making. Her vision is not to create neuroethicists as a standalone profession, but to cultivate ethically engaged neurotechnologists and engineers.
Central to her plans at INNS are hands-on training programs that bring ethics out of the abstract and into practice. “I wanted to be a professor of the practice because, while the field does need more scholars, what it really needs most at this point are practitioners.”
Rommelfanger is exploring modular content that can be embedded into existing courses across disciplines, as well as immersive training — such as neuroethics boot camps and problem-solving hackathons — that bring together students, faculty, and professionals to tackle real-world challenges collaboratively.
“No one discipline can solve all the ethical challenges ahead,” says Rommelfanger. She is particularly interested in creating spaces where experts from across science and engineering, policy and law, design and the arts, and philosophy can work side by side with people with lived experience of neurological conditions. “The onus is not on scientists alone, but is a shared responsibility that benefits immensely from dialogue, accountability, and action across diverse communities.”
By situating neuroethics within Georgia Tech’s broader research ecosystem, Rommelfanger hopes INNS can help shift how the field evolves globally.
“It's really difficult to get your arms around something once it's out of the gate,” she says, citing the rapid adoption of AI without proper ethical or policy guidelines. “With neurotechnology, we still have a little bit of time, but not that much time. We are at that moment where we could change the course of global history.”
News Contact
Audra Davidson
Research Communications Program Manager
Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)
Apr. 09, 2026
Researchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world.
Caption: This image shows a topographic vision model trained to have a brain-like organization.
Caption: This shows how spinal cord activity guides transitions in muscle output for extensor muscles.
Caption: This shows how mice behave differently when they are pursuing different goals.
Caption: This shows the spike patterns of a hawk moth. Motor systems use spike codes to control motor output.
Caption: This shows how visual data from the retina is directed to the correct cognitive domain in the brain through a region of the visual cortex.
Nothing rivals the human brain’s complexity. Its 86 billion neurons and 85 billion other cells make an estimated 100 trillion connections. If the brain were a computer, it would perform an exaflop (a billion-billion) mathematical calculations every second and use the equivalent of only 20 watts of power. As impressive as the brain is, neurologists can’t fully explain how neurons work together.
To help find answers, researchers at the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) are using math, data, and AI to unlock the secrets of thought. Together they are helping turn the brain’s raw electrical “noise” into real insights about how people think, move, and perceive the world.
Fair warning: Prepare your neurons for the complexity of this brain research ahead.
Building AI Like a Brain
What if artificial neurons in AI programs were arranged as they are in the brain?
AI programs would then help us understand why the brain is organized the way it is. This neuro-AI synthesis would also work faster, use less energy, and be easier to interpret. Creating such systems is the goal of Apurva Ratan Murty, an assistant professor of Psychology who is creating topographic AI models like the one above of three domains — vision, audition, and language inspired by the brain. In the near future, he predicts doctors might be able to use these patterns to predict the effects of brain lesions and other disorders. “We’re not there yet,” he says. “But our work brings us significantly closer to that future than ever before.”
Computing Thought and Movement
How cats walk keeps Chethan Pandarinath on his toes. This biomedical engineer uses sensors to analyze how two sets of feline leg muscles — flexors and extensors — are controlled by the spinal cord. Understanding how that happens could help patients partially paralyzed from spinal cord injuries, strokes, or progressive neuro-degenerative diseases get back on their feet again. “My lab is using AI tools that allow us to turn complex spinal cord activity data into something we can interpret. It tells us there’s a simple underlying structure behind the complex activity patterns,” says the associate professor.
Revealing the Brain’s Spike Patterns
“The brain is like a symphony conductor,” says Simon Sponberg. “Individual instruments have some independent control, but most of the music comes from the brain’s precise coordination of notes among the different players in the body.” This physics professor studies the fantastically fast-beating wings of the hummingbird-sized hawk moth (Manduca sexta). Its agile flight movement comes as a result of spikes in electrical activity in 10 muscles. Sponberg found something that surprised him — the brain focuses less on creating the number of spikes than in orchestrating their precise patterns over time. To Sponberg, every millisecond matters. “We are just beginning to understand how the nervous system first acquires precisely timed spiking patterns during development,” he says.
Predicting Decisions Through Statistics
Put a mouse in a maze with food far away, and it will learn to find it. But life for mice — and people — isn’t so simple. Sometimes they want to explore, only want water, or just want to go home. What’s more, animals make decisions based on their history, not just on how they feel at the moment. To dig deeper into the decision-making process, Anqi Wu, an assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering, is giving mice more options. By using a new computational framework called SWIRL (Switching Inverse Reinforcement Learning), her findings have outperformed models that fail to take historical behavior into account. “We’re seeking to understand not only animal behavior but also human behavior to gain insight into the human decision-making process over a long period of time,” she says.
Modeling the Mind’s Wiring With Math
Connectivity shapes cognition in the cerebral cortex, a layered structure in the brain. The visual cortex, in particular, processes visual data from the retina relayed through the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) in the thalamus, and directs it to the correct cognitive domain in the brain. How it does this is the mystery that computational neuroscientist Hannah Choi wants to solve. “The big question I’m interested in is how network connectivity patterns in the architecture of the LGN are related to computations,” says this assistant math professor. To find answers, she shows mice repeated image patterns such as flower-cat-dog-house and then disrupts the pattern. The goal? To grasp how the thalamus’s nonlinear dynamical system works. If scientists and doctors better understand how brain regions are wired together, such knowledge could lead to better disease treatment.
This story was originally published through the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Read the original publication here.
Nov. 19, 2025
Can flickering light and sound help fight Alzheimer’s disease?
On this episode of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms chats with Dr. Annabelle Singer from Georgia Tech and Emory University, whose groundbreaking research explores how carefully timed lights and sounds may help “tune” the brain, boost memory, and change the course of Alzheimer’s disease. From building theater lights as a kid to decoding how brain waves shape memory, Dr. Singer is proving that sometimes the brightest ideas come from unexpected places.
Tune in to hear how groundbreaking science is lighting the way toward healthier brains and brighter futures.
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Jan. 05, 2026
University research drives U.S. innovation, and Georgia Institute of Technology is leading the way.
The latest Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey from the National Science Foundation (NSF) places Georgia Tech as No. 2 nationally for federally sponsored research expenditures in 2024. This is Georgia Tech’s highest-ever ranking from the NSF HERD survey and a 70% increase over the Institute's 2019 numbers.
In total expenditures from all externally funded dollars (including the federal government, foundations, industry, etc.), Georgia Tech is ranked at No. 6.
Tech remains ranked No. 1 among universities without a medical school — a major accomplishment, as medical schools account for a quarter of all research expenditures nationally.
“Georgia Tech’s rise to No. 2 in federally sponsored research expenditures reflects the extraordinary talent and commitment of our faculty, staff, students, and partners. This achievement demonstrates the confidence federal agencies have in our ability to deliver transformative research that addresses the nation’s most critical challenges,” said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research.
Overall, the state of Georgia maintained its No. 8 position in university research and development, and for the first time, the state topped the $4 billion mark in research expenditures. Georgia Tech provides $1.5 billion, the largest state university contribution. In the last five years, federal funding for higher education research in the state of Georgia has grown an astounding 46% — 10 points higher than the U.S. rate.
Lieuwen said, “Georgia Tech is proud to lead the state in research contributions, helping Georgia surpass the $4 billion mark for the first time. Our work doesn’t just advance knowledge — it saves lives, creates jobs, and strengthens national security. This growth reflects our commitment to drive innovation that benefits Georgia, our country, and the world.”
About the NSF HERD Survey
The NSF HERD Survey is an annual census of U.S. colleges and universities that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for research and development (R&D) in the fiscal year. The survey collects information on R&D expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research, expenses, and headcounts of R&D personnel.
About Georgia Tech's Research Enterprise
The research enterprise at Georgia Tech is led by the Executive Vice President for Research, Tim Lieuwen, and directs a portfolio of research, development, and sponsored activities. This includes leadership of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, 11 interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs), Office of Commercialization, Office of Corporate Engagement, plus research centers, and related research administrative support units. Georgia Tech routinely ranks among the top U.S. universities in volume of research conducted.
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Angela Ayers
Assistant Vice President of Research Communications
Georgia Tech
Dec. 16, 2025
Affectionally called "DragonCon for neuroscience," the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting is one of the largest academic conferences in the world.
Benjamin Magondu, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, presented at SfN for the first time this year.
With hundreds of presentations happening simultaneously, the poster floor can be overwhelming at SfN — but for many, that's part of the draw.
Trisha Kesar answers a question during the SfN press conference on AI in neuroscience, moderated by Chris Rozell.
Imagine stepping into a space the size of multiple football fields — only instead of turf and goalposts, it’s filled with science. Every inch is alive with posters, equipment demos, and researchers sharing the latest breakthroughs.
Welcome to the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference, one of the largest scientific gatherings in the world, drawing more than 30,000 attendees to San Diego in November. According to Annabelle Singer, it is the place to be for neuroscientists. “If you want to know what is going on now in neuroscience, it is being talked about at SfN.”
Singer is a McCamish Foundation Early Career Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech and Emory University. A frequent SfN attendee, she describes the meeting as “Dragon Con for neuroscience, with thousands of talks and posters going on simultaneously.”
This year, Georgia Tech didn’t just show up — it made a statement with more than 60 presentations, a major outreach award, and a spotlight press conference.
“Seeing Georgia Tech and INNS represented so strongly at SfN is exciting,” says Chris Rozell, executive director of Tech’s Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS). “It reflects the incredible breadth of neuroscience and neurotechnology research happening across our campus and how our work is shaping conversations at the highest level.”
Inside ‘Neuroscience Dragon Con’
Many conferences center around structured lectures, but at SfN, posters are the heart. You might find a senior researcher presenting groundbreaking findings right next to a first-time attendee sharing early results. This diversity is what makes the experience so valuable, says Singer. “Trainees get to talk directly with the scientist doing the work to get their questions answered, from wondering about future implications to clarifying technical details.”
The scale of SfN can feel overwhelming, but for many, that’s part of the excitement. “There are so many different posters from so many different fields. It’s a lot to absorb, but it’s all very interesting,” said Benjamin Magondu, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student presenting for the first time. “I’ve definitely learned at least 47 things by just walking 10 feet.”
For students like Magondu, the experience is critical, says Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Farzaneh Najafi. “SfN has such a big scope, all the way from molecular to cognitive and computational systems. Especially for those deciding which direction of neuroscience they want to go into, it’s invaluable.”
That breadth also fosters connections across disciplines. “Conferences are usually pretty niche,” noted Tina Franklin, a research scientist in BME. “You have your own field that you’re really good at, but it’s difficult to venture out and find new people who can help you figure out what comes next. This conference brings people from all different fields together with the common interest of neuroscience and brain research.”
Leading the Charge
Georgia Tech’s impact went beyond the conference floor. Ming-fai Fong, an assistant professor in BME, received the prestigious Next Generation Award, one of SfN’s education and outreach awards. The honor recognizes members who make outstanding contributions to public communication and education about neuroscience.
“I’m certainly very grateful to the Society for Neuroscience for recognizing these types of contributions,” says Fong, who was recognized for her work supporting blind and visually impaired youth in Atlanta. “Rewarding outreach efforts reinforces my core belief that scientists and engineers can make an immediate impact on communities we care about through outreach. It’s a great parallel avenue to making a positive impact through research.”
Building on this recognition, Georgia Tech was in the spotlight during one of SfN’s selective press conferences — a session on artificial intelligence in neuroscience moderated by Rozell, who is also the Julian T. Hightower Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
During the SfN press event, Trisha Kesar, an associate professor in BME and adjunct faculty in the School of Biological Sciences, presented her research using AI to improve gait rehabilitation. Her work was among just 40 abstracts selected from more than 10,000 submissions for this honor, and one of five abstracts selected for the AI in neuroscience press conference. The project is a collaboration with Hyeok Kwon, a Georgia Tech computer science alumnus and an assistant professor in BME.
“It’s exciting to see Georgia Tech and Atlanta emerging as hubs for neuroscience innovation,” said Kesar. “Being part of a press conference on AI in neuroscience shows how much our community is contributing to the future of brain research, and how collaboration across institutions can accelerate progress.”
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Writer and media contact:
Audra Davidson
Research Communications Manager
Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)
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Created by Joshua Preston, Communications Manager, College of Computing
Data collection by Audra Davidson, Hunter Ashcraft
Nov. 20, 2025
Georgia Institute of Technology has been ranked 7th in the world in the 2026 Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, in association with Schmidt Science Fellows. This designation underscores Georgia Tech’s leadership in research that solves global challenges.
“Interdisciplinary research is at the heart of Georgia Tech’s mission,” said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research. “Our faculty, students, and research teams work across disciplines to create transformative solutions in areas such as healthcare, energy, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. This ranking reflects the strength of our collaborative culture and the impact of our research on society.”
As a top R1 research university, Georgia Tech is shaping the future of basic and applied research by pursuing inventive solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Whether discovering cancer treatments or developing new methods to power our communities, work at the Institute focuses on improving the human condition.
Teams from all seven Georgia Tech colleges, 11 interdisciplinary research institutes, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Enterprise Innovation Institute, and hundreds of research labs and centers work together to transform ideas into real results.
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Angela Ayers
Nov. 13, 2025
Dobromir Rahnev’s research in the Computations of Subjective Perception Lab focuses on metacognition. [Photo by Rob Felt]
A neuron is more than just a neuron. These cells, found throughout the nervous system and the brain, work together in circuits that perform the complex calculations needed for our perception, memory, behavior, and cognition. This means that breakthroughs in neuroscience don't just rely on biology or medical knowledge, but also on the quantitative skills needed to understand and model these circuits. Faculty at Georgia Tech use their expertise in engineering, math, and computer science to apply common principles of these disciplines to neuroscience research. Within the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS), neuroscientists use these quantitative methods to understand how humans think, treat disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and better understand psychiatric disorders.
Read the full story here>>
Nov. 11, 2025
Inspired by geneticists working to sequence the human genome, Felipe Quiroz found his path in bioengineering as a bridge to genetic engineering. Now an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech and Emory University, he studies a family of molecules called intrinsically disordered proteins, which play critical roles in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
In his lab, Quiroz engineers the invisible through proteins, cells, and genes to understand what is fundamentally happening inside the cell. The five-year-old lab, soon to celebrate its first cohort of graduates, brings together bioengineers, neuroscientists, chemists, and biologists working at the intersection of disciplines. His work is about impact today and for generations to come, driven by a motivation to build bridges between fields, ideas, and people. Guided by a high-risk, high-reward mentality, Quiroz’s research opens countless potential paths, advancing his field, defining new ones, and inspiring the next generation to develop the technologies of tomorrow.
Quiroz was recently featured on BME's Holy Shift! Podcast, where he revealed how his lab engineers the invisible — proteins, cells, and genes — to understand and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Listen to the full episode here >>
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Summary by:
Hunter Ashcraft
Communications Student Assistant, Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)
News and media contact:
Kelly Petty
Communications Manager, BME