Neural and Bioelectric Systems

All complex living organisms are controlled by extensive neural systems that operate based upon the flow of ions across cell membranes and the transport of specialized neurotransmitter molecules. UVa biomedical engineers were the first to use the Nobel prize-winning development of the patch-clamp method to solve the problem of ion channel disorder in neuromuscular disease in human cells. Neural studies now focus on disorders of the neuromuscular synapse and small cell lung cancer, the spectroscopic MR imaging of brain function, drug delivery in the brain, impact biomechanics of neural tissues, and non-invasive surgical planning for neurosurgery.

Bioelectric systems also includes the design of instrumentation to quantitatively assess or modify the electrical behavior of tissues, including the well-known ECG method and electromyogram for assessing muscle performance, as well as pacemaker design. In the future, the ability to use neural systems to regulate the performance of tissue-engineered constructs or native tissues will be a major achievement of biomedical engineering. The neural and bioelectric systems group in BME is complemented by innovative neuroscience and neurosurgery departments and research in the department of biology on neural network formation and remodeling.

Primary Faculty

Yong Kim: ion channel dysfunction in neurological disorders, neuromuscular transmission, and bioelectric phenomena in neural systems

Affiliated Faculty

Gregory Helm: gene therapy techniques for the treatment of neurosurgical disorders

George Gillies: axonal regrowth mechanics and mechanisms for bridging glial scar tissue