Shiwei Wang – School of Engineering Shiwei Wang Image Bayes Innovation Fellow: Shiwei Wang Neurological conditions affect a staggering one-third of the global population, costing the UK alone £96 billion per year. Pharmaceutical treatments are not always effective. Neural interface devices offer a new frontier, directly interacting with the nervous system to diagnose and prevent conditions more effectively. But there’s a major roadblock: current technology struggles to record and stimulate the brain simultaneously due to interference. As a result, it is very difficult to know the brain’s immediate responses to stimuli, and thus fine-tuning of the devices for effective treatment of neurological conditions becomes hardly possible. Our breakthrough? An advanced integrated circuit chip that reads brain signals with unprecedented clarity, even during stimulation, enabled by our innovation in ultra-low-power circuit design and AI-driven artifact removal algorithms. Validated through in vivo experiments, we’re now translating this innovation into commercial products, bringing cutting-edge technology to the frontiers of neuroscience and neurology. The Bayes Innovation Fellows programme has not only helped me crystalise and consolidate my research commercialisation plan, but also unlocked funding to further its development and linked me with a number of stakeholders including investors, consultants, and potential customers. Shiwei Wang Bayes Innovation Fellow This article was published on 2024-09-30
