Dr. Frank Willett is co-director of the Neural Prosthetics Translational Laboratory. The group develops brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore movement and communication to people with neurological disorders. Recent contributions include handwriting and speech-based BCIs that set new records for communication speed and accuracy in people with paralysis. More broadly, they are interested in computational approaches to understanding brain function and recordings, with a focus on how the human brain represents movement and language.
Dr. Shain uses computational and experimental methods to study language and the mind, particularly (1) the cognitive processes that allow us to understand the things we hear and read so quickly, (2) the learning signals that we leverage as children to acquire language from the environment, and (3) the role played by real-time information processing constraints in shaping language learning and comprehension.
For the past 20 years most of Dr. Christopher Gardner's research has been focused on investigating the potential health benefits of various dietary components or food patterns using randomized controlled trials. The interventions have involved vegetarian diets, soy, garlic, omega-3 fats/fish oil/flax oil, antioxidants, Ginkgo biloba, and popular weight loss diets. These trials have studied outcomes that include weight, blood lipids and lipoproteins, inflammatory markers, glucose, insulin, and body composition. Most of these trials have been NIH-funded.
