Session 5

Unlocking Potential: Innovations in Autonomic Neuromodulation

Friday, May 1st from 1:15p - 2:45p

A core challenge in autonomic neuromodulation is the ability to target specific organ systems effectively despite the high anatomical and physiological intermingling of systems. In this session, speakers will discuss new techniques that aim overcome this challenge in basic science, engineering, and clinical contexts. The guiding question of this session is, "What emerging technologies can transform the precision or effectiveness of autonomic neuromodulation?"

Session Chair

Edgar Peña, PhD

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Dr. Peña is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His lab develops computational models that push the state-of-the-art to enable personalized neuromodulation therapies.

Lived Experience Speaker

Martha Netoff

"Closed-Loop Control of Norepinephrine to Attenuate Sympathetic Response to Cardiac Stressors"

Tina Vrabec, PhD

Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, MetroHealth Medical Center, CWRU School of Medicine

Tina Vrabec received her PhD from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and has worked as an assistant professor at CWRU and MetroHealth Medical Center since 2016. She spent 17 years as an engineer in industry and academia developing control systems and medical devices. She is a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors, having been awarded more than 15 patents. Her lab develops electrodes and neuromodulation paradigms for electrical nerve block. These techniques are applied to applications in the autonomic, motor and sensory systems to provide advanced patient-specific disease solutions.

"Spinal Nerve-Targeted Non-Invasive Neuromodulation for GI Disorders"

Amol Sharma, MD, MS

Professor, Gastroenterology, Medical University of South Carolina

Dr. Sharma is the Donald O Castell Endowed Professor in Gastroenterology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with a clinical and translational focus in Neurogastroenterology & Motility (NGM), particularly diabetic gastroparesis and Parkinson’s disease. He obtained his medical degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, completed internal medicine residency at Temple University Hospitals, and GI fellowship at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He then served on faculty at MCG for 10 years. Dr. Sharma’s research focus is understanding the pathophysiology of gut-brain axis in various conditions and developing innovative, non-invasive, and promising neuromodulation therapies through his insights, outstanding mentorship and collaborations, and his engineering background. He currently serves as principal investigator of a NIH-funded multi-center, randomized, sham-controlled study investigating thoracic neuromodulation for diabetic gastroparesis (RO1-DK133520) and an MPI for the NIDDK Gut-Brain Parkinson’s Disease Consortium (UO1-DK140923).

"Multi-Scale Imaging and Next-Generation Computational Tools to Design Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapies"

Nicole Pelot, PhD

Research Director, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University

Dr. Nicole (“Nikki”) Pelot is a biomedical engineer at Duke University, conducting neural engineering research. Nikki leads a team working to advance neuromodulation of the autonomic nervous system, including anatomical & imaging studies, extensive development of computational methods for anatomically realistic models of nerve stimulation, optimization methods to develop improved therapies, and in vivo electrophysiology. In 2022, she won the Gold Electrode Award from Neurotech Reports, and in 2023, she won the inaugural Rising Star Award from the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS). In addition to scientific excellence, she continually works to improve her academic project management and mentorship skills.

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