NINDS: Neural Interfaces Workshop

Welcome

The Neural Interfaces Workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel on September 7-9th, 2005. This integrated meeting combines the 36th Annual Neural Prosthesis Workshop and the annual meeting of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Consortium. The NIH Neural Prosthesis research community consists of investigators, supported by grants or contracts, who are working in areas that include functional neuromuscular/electrical stimulation, auditory prosthesis, cortical prosthesis, microelectrode array technology, and brain computer/machine interfaces. The NIH DBS Consortium is a core group of multidisciplinary researchers funded under a series of NIH-sponsored programs to advance technological innovation and further understand the sites and/or mechanisms of action of DBS.

Building on the experiences of the Neural Interfaces Workshop that was held in 2004, the Neural Interfaces Workshop 2005 will again bring these communities together but provide more structured content. Day 1 will focus on current progress in DBS with presentations from the Consortium members. In addition, there will be a session on emergent microelectrode stimulation technology, as well as a discussion to relate critical issues limiting progress in DBS and to identify potential approaches for surmounting those obstacles. Day 2 will concentrate on current progress in neural prosthetics, with plenary sessions on microelectrode array technology, surgical considerations for neural prosthetics, neural interfaces for sensory information, and spinal cord interfaces. Day 3 will address current goals and potential future advances in neural prosthetics, such as nanotechnology. A new addition to the agenda will be the Platform Presentations, which are brief, oral reports designed to allow selected poster presentations additional visibility as well as stimulate discussions.

We anticipate attendance by a diverse group of scientists, engineers, and clinicians, representing the basic and applied science aspects of neural interfaces. The integration of the Neural Prosthesis community and the DBS Consortium during this workshop is expected to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among groups at various stages of neural interface development. Support for this workshop comes from the following Institutes within the NIH: the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

There are no fees for registration and attendance.
Because facilities can only accommodate a limited number of attendees, only the first 450 registrants will be accepted.
Registration will be closed after August 12, 2005, at 5:00 p.m./EDT.
Abstract submissions are due no later than July 1, 2005.
After August 7, 2005, the hotel rate of $153.00 per night plus taxes will not be guaranteed.

Questions concerning meeting logistics can be directed to Ms. Rechá Bullock at MasiMax (by telephone at 240-683-1743 or by e-mail at rbullock@masimax.com). You may also contact Dr. Joseph J. Pancrazio of NINDS (by e-mail at pancrazj@ninds.nih.gov or by telephone at 301-496-1447) should you have any inquiries about the program.