The CNTR

MGH Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery
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A podcast from the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Episodes

  1. 5D AGO

    A Network-Based View of Epilepsy - Peter Hadar, MD, MS and Andrew (Jian) Li, PhD

    In this episode we explore how a network-based understanding of epilepsy is advancing treatment for patients with drug-resistant seizures. We discuss how epilepsy can arise from distributed brain networks rather than a single lesion, and how neurostimulation therapies like Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are being used to detect and disrupt seizures in real time. We explore how advances in neuroimaging, signal processing, and machine learning are helping map functional connectivity in the brain, enabling more precise and personalized interventions. Dr. Peter Hadar is an Instructor in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. His work focuses on personalizing neurostimulation therapies and studying human behavior through intracranial neurophysiology. He earned his MD and MS from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his Epilepsy fellowship at MGH in 2024. He is a recipient of the NIH NINDS R25/UE5 Grant and the Susan Spencer Scholarship in Epilepsy. Dr. Andrew (Jian) Li is an Instructor at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. His research applies statistical signal processing and machine learning to neuroimaging data, with a focus on functional connectivity and tools like NASCAR to identify overlapping brain networks. Together, they are working to release a large-scale, multi-modal dataset from over 27,000 patients to the global research community, aiming to improve diagnosis, prediction, and treatment of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

    46 min

  2. MAR 13

    Restoring Speech with Brain-to-Computer Interfaces - Dan Rubin, MD, PhD & Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD

    In this episode, we learn about how brain-to-computer interfaces (BCIs) are helping restore speech in individuals living with ALS and Laryngeal Dystonia. Dr. Dan Rubin discusses the research behind decoding speech intention from brain activity using motor cortex mapping and real-time phoneme prediction. Dr. Kristina Simonyan discuss her research on EEG-based neurofeedback therapy and VR to restore normal speech in patients with laryngeal dystonia. Dr. Dan Rubin is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. His research looks into how placing micro-electrode arrays directly into the brain can help restore communication in patients with ALS and other disorders leading to speech paralysis. His team uses BCIs to record electrical activity from individual neurons in the speech motor cortex to decode the “intent’ to move speech muscles. The patient’s internal intent to speak is then translated and reproduced through computer systems to restore communication. Dr. Kristina Simonyan, Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, focuses primarily on restoring normal speech in patients with laryngeal dystonia. Laryngeal Dystonia is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary spasms of the vocal cord muscles making it difficult for patients to speak. The BCIs Dr. Simonyan uses involve high density EEG caps and neurofeedback to “retrain” a patient’s ability to speak. Dr. Rubin received his MD and PhD from Columbia University and completed his residency and a fellowship in Neurocritical Care at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Dr. Simonyan completed her medical degree and residency in Otolaryngology at Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia and Georg-August University in Germany. She holds a PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Hannover.

    1h 20m

  3. 10/20/2025

    The Role of Sleep in Neurological Disorders - Alice Lam, MD, PhD & Alex Bender, MD, PhD

    In this episode of the CNTR podcast, we explore how sleep can be used as a biomarker for neurological disease. Dr. Alice Lam and Dr. Alex Bender discuss the central role that sleep may play in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy. This episode highlights how advances in EEG signal processing and machine learning can improve the identification of pathological brain activity. We also touch on an exciting NIH-funded, longitudinal study, ELUCID, which hopes to explain the relationship between late-onset epilepsy and dementia.

    44 min

  4. 03/22/2025

    DBS for Movement and Psychiatric Disorders - Darin Dougherty, MD & Todd Herrington, MD, PhD

    In this episode, we explore Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) with CNTR faculty Dr. Darin Dougherty & Dr. Todd Herrington. We focus on how DBS is revolutionizing the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Major Depressive Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. We discuss the recent FDA approval of adaptive DBS in Parkinson’s disease and the exciting future of neuromodulation in psychiatric care. This episode highlights how these transformative technologies are improving lives of patients as we speak.

    50 min

  5. 01/06/2025

    Neuromodulation of Epilepsy - Rina Zelmann, PhD & Pariya Salami, PhD

    In this episode, Dr. Rina Zelmann & Dr. Pariya Salami discuss the field of neuromodulation for epilepsy management & treatment. Dr. Zelmann & Dr. Salami, both instructors in Neurology in the Mass General Brigham Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, discuss their research on responsive neurostimulation (RNS), a closed-loop system designed to detect and respond to seizures. In our conversation, we examine why the thalamus is a central target for neurostimulation and explore the applications of these devices outside clinical practice, specifically in understanding sleep and consciousness.

    43 min

  6. 12/02/2024

    AI, Ethics, and Data Precision in Neurocritical Care - Eric Rosenthal, MD & Sahar Zafar, MD, MBBS

    In this episode, Dr. Eric Rosenthal and Dr. Sahar Zafar discuss how AI can revolutionize neurocritical care while navigating the challenges of privacy, bias, and data standardization. We explore the importance of inclusivity in AI models, the role of patient perspectives in shaping data privacy policies, and the future of precision medicine in neurocritical care. Dr. Eric Rosenthal is a neurointensivist and neurophysiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the Medical Director of the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit, the ICU Director of the MGH Clinical Data Animation Center and a faculty member at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery. Dr. Sahar Zafar is also a neurointensivist and neurophysiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is the Medical Director for Inpatient Neurology and is Co-Director of the Center for Value-Based Healthcare and Sciences. She is also an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery.

    49 min

  7. 11/01/2024

    Neuropixels & Other Recording Technologies - Sydney Cash, MD, PhD & Angelique Paulk, PhD

    In this episode, Dr. Angelique Paulk and Dr. Sydney Cash discuss recent advances in translational recording technologies. From non-implanted methods to the innovative Neuropixels probes, our guests discuss the implications of high-resolution recordings on neuroscience research and clinical practice. Tune in to discover how these technologies have the potential to improve patient care and what challenges lie ahead in making these tools widely accessible. Dr. Sydney Cash is the Division Chief for the Clinical Neurophysiology Division at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a Professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, the Principal Investigator of the Cash Lab and a Director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery. Dr. Angelique Paulk is an Instructor in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is on the research staff of the Cash Lab and is a faculty member at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery.

    39 min

  8. 10/01/2024

    Brain-Computer Interfaces - Leigh Hochberg, MD, PhD & Dan Rubin MD, PhD

    In this episode, we explore the field of brain-computer interfaces with Dr. Leigh Hochberg and Dr. Dan Rubin. We discuss how the BrainGate consortium is working to help individuals with paralysis regain movement & communication and examine how decoding neural activity is turning thoughts into action. Dr. Leigh Hochberg and Dr. Dan Rubin are Neurologists at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Hochberg is the Director of the BrainGate consortium and leads the BrainGate clinical trial, the largest and longest-running clinical trial of an implanted BCI. Dr. Rubin is a principal investigator in the BrainGate Consortium whose research explores the development of electrophysiologic biomarkers and tools to facilitate recovery after neurologic injury.

    55 min

  9. 09/04/2024

    Uncovering Consciousness - Brian Edlow, MD & Yelena Bodien, PhD

    In this episode, we discuss consciousness in a clinical setting. Covert consciousness is a state where individuals appear unconscious on the bedside examination yet demonstrate signs of awareness through advanced tests of brain function. Together, Dr. Brian Edlow and Dr. Yelena Bodien explain how these tests reveal covert consciousness and how modern neurotechnologies are redefining the clinical evaluation of consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries.

    1h 4m

  10. 06/27/2024

    Neurotechnology & Clinical Care - Leigh Hochberg, MD, PhD & Sydney Cash, MD, PhD

    Welcome to the first episode of The CNTR, the podcast from the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR) at Massachusetts General Hospital. Join us as we dive into the world of neurotechnology with CNTR directors, Dr. Leigh Hochberg and Dr. Sydney Cash. Learn about some historical milestones that have shaped the field, revolutionary clinical trials, and the inspiring stories of how advances in neurotechnology are improving the lives of patients with neurologic diseases.

    39 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

A podcast from the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Information

  • Creator
    MGH Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © MGH Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery
  • Show Website
    The CNTR