We are requesting support for the 2018 Neuroelectronic Interfaces: Beyond Feasibility - Bridging the Gap in Neuroelectronic Interfaces GRC, which will be held March 25th ? March 30th, 2018, at the Hotel Galzez, in Galveston, TX. The Neuroelectronic Interfaces Gordon Research Conference is the first ever of its kind for neural interfaces. The conference promises to rapidly become a highly successful venue to bringing together world-class clinicians, scientists, and engineers with a multi-disciplinary skillset in cellular neuroscience, brain pathology, neuro-technology and materials science in order to discuss, and eventually solve or discard the obstacles to chronically useful and reliable neural interface. The expectation for Gordon Research Conferences is that vigorous formal and informal discussions will be maximized between prominent investigators and junior attendees of the conferences, with particular emphasis being placed on underrepresented groups, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Because of the funds we hope to acquire from the pending proposal, support for travel and registration for speakers, discussions leaders, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students who attend the conference with priority going toward the support of members of underrepresented groups. Thus, we will foster the development of and continued involvement of qualified students and researchers from minority groups in neural engineering research. Additionally, the 2018 conference program is inspiring in the range of topics and in the quality and diversity of speakers. We have assembled a program (100% confirmed) that we are confident will lead to a lively and inspiring conference that is at the cutting edge of science and engineering. The program covers major recent trends in Neuroelectronic Interface research, including the state of the art, critical hurdles to be overcome, and inspiring sessions from tangential fields that could pave the way to success. This GRC will provide a forum for the findings of established scientists engaged in other biomedical areas to enable identification of new concepts for, and potential collaboration in, neural interfaces research. Therefore, we expect to change the landscape of the Neural Interfacing Community's conference circuit, and become a lasting tradition, worthy of the prestige of the Gordon Conferences, effectively becoming a ?go to meeting for neural interfacing.?
Neuroelectronic interfaces are central to the treatment and rehabilitation of many neurological diseases or injuries. Implants that can record neural activity or stimulate neural tissues are quickly becoming the fastest growing sector of biomedical devices. Despite the initial success, mechanisms that facilitate treatment and failure are largely unknown, and significantly limit the market approval and clinical implementation of many promising approaches; challenging the international community to find a solution.
