Neural Engineering is a rapidly growing field based on advances of neuroscience and engineering. Neural tissue can be viewed as a series of embedded mathematically describable systems and can be measured, manipulated, repaired or replaced to restore normal function.

The development of the neural engineering curricular focus at UIC is motivated by the rapidly increasing potential for interfacing with and exploiting the sensor properties of neural tissue. In addition, progress is being made in integrating and manipulating neurons in defined orientations with electrically active substrates. Recent advances in these directions, e.g. the use of wasp olfactory neurons to identify toxins, or retinal neuroprosthetics to treat eye disease, are resulting largely from insights into the molecular structure and behavior of neurons. The new understanding of artificial bioelectric interfaces are the first step toward the establishment of a cochlear implant and progress toward a silicon retina. These advances are driving the rapid development of potential applications, and therefore there is an urgent need to train students in this emerging area.

The existing UIC curriculum in neural engineering engages students at several levels of neural systems, from the structure, statistics, and biophysics of channels to network-mediated complex behavior. Existing expertise within the bioengineering department (e.g. electrophysiology of vision, central pattern generator network modulation, neural modeling and imaging, and Prof. D. Graupe's work on functional electrical stimulation of muscle in paralysis) are complimented by the experience and resources of faculty in the department of biological sciences and college of medicine. The new, evolving paradigm presents neural tissue as a series of describable, embedded systems, which may be characterized and manipulated at the cellular and molecular levels. These principles and technical skills are the foundation of emerging applications in hybrid-device biosensors, biocomputers, and neuroprosthetics.

Neural Engineering Faculty List