The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology for Life and Health (the CDT) was established in 2014 to train a new generation of multidisciplinary researchers at the interface of neuroscience and engineering, to address the challenge of brain-related illnesses. 

Directed by Profs Simon Schultz, Bill Wisden and Paul Matthews, the CDT welcomed 5 cohorts of students between 2014 and 2018, researching over 60 projects and completing in June 2023.

Multidisciplinarity was key to CDT projects, each involving a team of supervisors, bringing complementary expertise. The CDT was highly successful in bringing together researchers across the Faculties of Engineering, Natural Sciences and Medicine at Imperial, with investigators from multiple departments including Bioengineering, Brain Sciences, Chemistry, Computing, Design Engineering, Earth Sciences, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Mechanical Engineering, NHLI, Physics, Surgery & Cancer. In addition, the CDT involved industry and charity partners, as well as satellite research groups at the Crick Institute and the University of Oxford.

Although the CDT no longer admits students, the Department of Bioengineering offers a 1-year MRes programme in Neurotechnology.

mind games exhibit

Caption: The "Mind Games" exhibit at Imperial Festival 2018 challenged visitors to play video games using their bodies' electrical signals

building a brain

Caption: Build a Brain - a young visitor to the Imperial Festival 2015 takes the CDT Neurotechnology's brain anatomy challenge

CDT Neurotechnology logo

cohort 2 queens tower trip

Caption: Students from cohort 2 pause for a photo on a trip up Imperial College's Queens Tower

MRes Neurotechnology ethics course

Caption: MRes Neurotechnology students in discussion during the Ethical and Social Implications of Neurotechnology CDT workshop

Imperial Festival playing with brain waves

Caption: A visitor to the Imperial Festival 2016 trying out the CDT Neurotechnology's brainwave-powered computer game

Impeiral Festival 2014 Peter Quicke explaining

Caption: Peter Quicke from cohort 1 explains brain anatomy to visitors to the Imperial Festival 2015