Systems Neural Engineering Lab

PI

Chethan Pandarinath, PhD (he/him)

pandarinathPhotoAssociate Professor
Biomedical Engineering, Emory and GA Tech
Neurosurgery, Emory

Email: cpandar AT emory DOT edu
Pubmed / Google Scholar
Twitter
 

Research Philosophy

As a researcher, the mission of my lab is to produce work that truly advances the fields of neuroengineering and neuroscience, develops novel strategies and devices to treat disorders of the nervous system, expands our knowledge of the brain, and never compromises in quality and scientific integrity. Concurrently, we aim provide rigorous academic training to scholars who will go on to have impactful careers (in academia, industry, or more broadly).

I expect my lab members to be driven, focused, and passionate about their work. My goal as a mentor is to ensure that my trainees are working on projects that align with their long-term goals and interests. I will, to the best of my ability, strive to keep roadblocks out of their way so they can focus on producing the highest quality research possible. Above all, my goal is to create an openly collaborative research environment where the research team is happy and productive.

Lab Manual

A really good introduction to our lab philosophy, culture, and expectations can be found in the Lab Manual. (Note: this is a work in progress.)

Bio

Dr. Pandarinath is an assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech and the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory, where he directs the Systems Neural Engineering Lab. His group’s research uses electrical engineering principles and AI toward studying the nervous system and designing assistive devices for people with neurological disorders or injuries.

Dr. Pandarinath received undergraduate degrees in Computer Engineering, Physics, and Science Technology and Society from North Carolina State University. During his PhD in EE at Cornell, his research focused on the early visual system and creating novel retinal prosthetic approaches to restore vision. His postdoc at Stanford with Jaimie Henderson and Krishna Shenoy, as a part of the BrainGate team, focused on improving the performance of brain-machine interfaces to restore function to people with paralysis. He is a 2019 Sloan Fellow and K12 Scholar in the NIH-NICHD Rehabilitation Engineering Career Development Program. He is also a recipient of the 2021 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. His work has been funded by the Neilsen Foundation, NSF, DARPA, Air Force, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Simons Foundation, and NIH.

Training

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University, Neurosurgery & Electrical Engineering (PIs: Jaimie Henderson, MD and Krishna Shenoy, PhD)
  • PhD, Cornell University, Electrical Engineering (PI: Sheila Nirenberg, PhD)
  • BS, BA, BS, North Carolina State University, Computer Engineering, Physics, Science Technology & Society

Honors and Funding as PI

Consulting/Disclosures

Dr. Pandarinath serves as a consultant for Synchron and Reality Labs (Meta Platforms Inc.).