We create neurotechnology.

What we build

Next-Gen BCI

Exploiting advances in materials science and electrical engineering we are creating next-generation implanted brain-computer interfaces with improved performance and reduced surgical risk.

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Translational Bioelectronics

Medicine should be more like technology with therapies that continuously and rapidly improve over time. We are creating implantable bioelectronic networks that accurately sense and regulate physiological processes and hybrid bioelectronics that combine the precise control possible in electronics with the chemical and molecular specificity possible in engineered living cells.

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NeuroAI

Creating artificial intelligence that think and behave like humans and animals will likely require large quantities of brain and behavior data. We are developing technologies to collect and harmonize brain and behavior data from animals ranging from Hydra to non-human primates.

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Read our publications

How we work

We work in teams to solve interdisciplinary problems. The problems we work on are hard, but we are surrounded by a bunch of really smart people who like to help each other. We can accomplish much more together than one of us could achieve alone.

We also love collaborating with researchers and clinicians who feel limited by existing technology. Our favorite things to build are clever solutions to real problems.

Why we exist

We love the technology we create, but our primary purpose is to train scientists and engineers to work collaboratively, solve problems creatively, and communicate their ideas to their peers and the broader community.

What our alumni do next

We measure success by the success of our alumni. For us, alumni success means that when they leave the lab, our alumni are well-trained to succeed in their chosen career and they look back positively on the time they spent with us.

After leaving the lab, roughly 40% of our alumni choose a career at big technology companies, 20% decide to found their own company or join a startup, 20% choose a career adjacent to science and engineering like patent law, teaching, or consulting, and about 20% choose a career in academia, several of whom now lead research groups of their own. I am equally proud of our alumni regardless of what career they choose. It has been a joy to work with them. Below is a selection of the places our alumni have headed after they left the lab. See a list of our alumni.

Is our lab right for you?

Our lab may be right for you if you:

Want to challenge yourself to learn something new.
Enjoy working closely with peers.
Are unafraid to advocate for yourself and find a way to make things work.

Our lab may not be right for you if you:

Prefer working within well-established procedures.
Prefer working alone.
Work best with daily stand-ups or step-by-step guidance.
Are low-key mean.

How to get involved

Undergraduates Researchers:

We usually have several undergraduates working in the lab alongside graduate student mentors. If you're an undergraduate interested in working in our lab please email Jacob a description of your interests and a CV.

Prospective Graduate Students:

We usually hire 2-3 PhD students each year. If you're interested in working in our lab as a Ph.D. or Masters student please apply to Rice ECE or related graduate programs and note your interest in our lab. We also encourage you to email Jacob your CV and description of your interests. Rarely can Jacob respond to requests to meet before you're admitted to the graduate program, but that doesn't mean you aren't awesome (he's just very busy because he said yes to too many fun things).

Prospective Postdocs:

We usually have positions available for Postdocs to join the lab. If you are interested please email Jacob your CV and description of interests. Jacob will email you back if there might be a fit. Please follow up if you don't get a response within a week. If you don't hear back after the follow-up it is unlikely we have a position that fits your background.