Catch up on this Bioengineering Department Seminar on our YouTube channel: Click here to watch
Talk title: Big data brain imaging, virtual reality, and neurofeedback for stroke rehabilitation
Abstract: After a stroke, people vary widely in their ability to recover full function as well as their response to different treatments. However, it is challenging to predict both recovery and response to treatments. In this talk, I will first describe a big data approach we have taken to analyze high-resolution brain imaging and behavioral data from stroke research cohorts worldwide in order to begin to develop personalized models to predict stroke outcomes. Then I will talk about some different treatment approaches we have developed to provide more personalized therapy using virtual reality and brain and muscle computer interfaces.
Speaker biography: Sook-Lei Liew is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Southern California. She has joint appointments in the divisions of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, and Neurology, and is a member of the USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. She is the Chair of the ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group, which aims to meta-analyze high-resolution brain imaging and behavioral outcomes in individuals after stroke from thousands of patients collected across more than 50 research cohorts from 10 countries worldwide. She also is a co-director and co-founder of the USC SMART-VR (SensoriMotor Assessment and Rehabilitation Training) Center (smartvr.usc.edu). The overall goal of Dr. Liew’s research is to understand mechanisms of neural plasticity in healthy individuals and individuals after neurological injury that support a person’s ability to learn new skills and recover from brain injury. She has over 40 peer-reviewed publications, given over 120 invited talks and conference presentations, and received over $4.5 million in funding from agencies such as the NIH, National Science Foundation, US Army, and American Heart Association.