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A researcher with Stanford's Brains in Silicon Group, Samir Menon spends his days exploring the neurocircuits of the brain, studying individual neurons, and recreating their interactions using transistor circuits on silicon chips. The potential applications of his work could change lives.
"Let's say someone has an injury involving the spinal cord," Samir explains. "One use of this technology would be to replicate the function of the spinal cord and enable them to walk again."
Samir is presently simulating neural circuits responsible for motor control in the brain and spinal cord to study how humans learn motor skills. His plan is to integrate his neural circuits with a model of the human musculoskeletal system to study how neurons control muscles. "The system," he explains, "will enable us to build new and better muscle controllers to help paraplegics walk and will allow us to suggest customized rehabilitation training for injured people." He envisions a future where silicon neurons enable injured people to lead better lives.
"At Stanford, it is our business to continually improve upon state-of-the-art," he says.
Samir's work at Stanford would not have been possible without the support of the Soheil and Susan Saadat Graduate Fellowship Fund."I wouldn't be able to manage without it," he says.
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