Project Title: Distributed, multi-channel temporal-interference platform: hardware foundations & solver algorithms
Supervisor: Dr Tim Constandinou, Dr Nir Grossman
Locations: B422, CBIT, Bessemer Building, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Rd, SW7 2AZ
Level 7, Sir Michael Uren Hub, White City Campus, 86 Wood Lane, W12 0BZ
About Me
I am an Imperial PhD student jointly based in the "Next-Generation Neural Interfaces" lab (NGNI) and the Grossman lab, within the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Department of Brain Sciences, respectively.
My project focuses on the development of a new brain stimulation platform device leveraging the temporal interference (TI) stimulation method. My work is mostly engineering-driven, building the electronics and supporting planning algorithms to drive multiple epidural implants producing electrical stimulation regions in the brain. This work will be impactful by offering new improved ways to bring a brain's neural activity from a diseased state into a healthy state via electrical neuromodulation while requiring low-risk, minimally invasive surgery.
How did you become interested?
I have always been fascinated by the brain, as a kid I would draw brain-controlled devices, expecting to witness them in my lifetime. Much later, in 2023, while I was studying my Design Engineering MEng at Imperial, I did an elective project on BCI electrodes which strongly enriched my knowledge about the field and made me realise I could have good ideas and be useful! In parallel, I was a fellow of the Polaris fellowship, where multiple months of structured reflection led me to decide that I would spend the next decade in the field of neurotechnology. I was motivated by the earliness of the field, its potential impact, multidisciplinary nature, and increasing importance for health and human capability.
Scientifically, I came across temporal interference brain stimulation through my own reading. I found it to be possibly completely transformative compared to other methods, thanks to its minimal invasiveness requirements, its ability to target deep brain regions, and electrical nature, which makes for safer, more interpretable stimulation of the tissue from a biophysical perspective. It became clear to me that engineering advancements could bring forth these advantages by enabling improved TI strategies and translational deployments of the method. This is where I became very interested in driving these developments.
What do you do in spare time?
I am an avid gym-goer, I love music and DJing. I also enjoy dancing salsa, and I love to make digital art when I find the time and inspiration.
Qualifications
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Design Engineering MEng | 2019-2023 | Imperial
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Human & Biological Robotics MSc | 2023-2024 | Imperial
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PhD | 2025 - Current | Imperial
Research Interests
My research focuses on understanding cell type-specific gene regulation and developing methods to better profile the regulatory genome. I am particularly interested in applying such approaches to microglia, the key cell type implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. By generating detailed maps of genome regulation in microglia, I aim to uncover how epigenetic changes contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Ultimately, this knowledge may help identify new therapeutic targets and guide future treatment strategies.
Presentations and Conferences
Building a high performance neural logging system for free-moving marmoset monkeys - Newcastle University, Marmoset Workshop on Biomedical Research - January 2025
Contact Details
Email: martin.lombard19@imperial.ac.uk
LinkedIn: martin-lombard
