Note: This cluster is not being offered in 2024.
Instructor:
Dr. Christine E King, Biomedical Engineering, UCI
Prerequisites: One year of high school Biology, Algebra II or Integrated Math II, and Computer Literacy are required for student success. Preferred candidates have taken some form of computer programming.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this program, students will be able to:
- Learn the fundamentals of biophysiological signal processing
- Apply neuroscience concepts to biomedical engineering solutions
- Design algorithms for analyzing and classifying biophysiological signals
Course Description:
Translating thoughts into actions without acting physically has always been an idea of which dreams and science fiction stories are made of. Recent developments in brain-computer interfaces (BCI), however, have opened the door to making these dreams come true by helping patients who cannot move be able to interact with their world using their brainwaves. The goal of this cluster is to introduce BCIs to students and the underlying engineering and neuroscience principles. Through lectures and hands-on activities, students will learn important neuroscience concepts and analyze biophysiological signals to control devices with BCIs.
Students will learn the techniques physicians and biomedical engineers use to record brain data. They will then learn how to analyze this information and characterize the underlying physiological behaviors for a BCI system. The project will allow students to explore different aspects of brainwave recording techniques to improve the detection of physiological behaviors.
This cluster is for students who want to learn more about medicine, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, and how these concepts can be used to help patients interact with their physical world.