People
University of Houston Team
Principal Investigator
Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal Ph.D.
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor
Director, UH NSF IUCRC BRAIN
jlcontreras-vidal@uh.edu
Jose L Contreras-Vidal, PHD
Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, Ph.D., IEEE Fellow (EMBS, SMC, RAS), is Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Director of the NSF Industry-University Collaborative Research Center on Building Reliable Advances and Innovations in Neurotechnologies (IUCRC BRAIN) at the University of Houston, and the Principal Investigator for this NSF PFI Project. He has pioneered the development of noninvasive brain-machine interfaces and wearable exoskeletons to restore motor function in individuals with spinal cord injury, stroke and limb amputation. Professor Contreras-Vidal is an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Human Machine Systems and J of Mobile Human Computer Interaction, a Review Editor for Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics, a Topic Editor for Frontiers in Human Neuroscience and Editor-in-Chief for the incoming book (Springer Nature Switzerland AG) on Mobile Brain-Body Imaging and the Neuroscience of Art, Innovation and Creativity. His work has been supported by the NIH, NSF, VA, DARPA, ONR, Foundations, donors, and industry. Dr. Contreras-Vidal’s research has been highlighted by The Economist, Nature, Science, Science News, Der Spiegel, NSF, Wall Street Journal, SFN, O&P, Scientific American, NPRs Science Friday, and Neurology Today among others. Jose’s career development in biomedical engineering has been highlighted in the magazine Science.
Co-Principal Investigators
Jeff Feng, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Architecture and Design, Medical Device Design
ffeng@uh.edu
Jeff Feng, Ph.D
Jeff Feng, MFA is an associate professor at the College of Architecture and Desing at the University of Houston. He is the principle of the enLiving Laboratory for interdisciplinary research and design in healthcare products and services. Jeff is an educator with over 15 years of experience in innovating in the industries of healthcare, consumer electronics, product packaging, etc. Jeff has worked as the design director at Metaphase Design Group for 7 years before he started teaching at the University of Houston. As an expert in design thinking, creative problem solving, design project management, design team building, and management, Jeff has led the design team to win numerous design awards and recognitions, most notably IDEA, Medical Design Excellence Award, and ID magazine. His works have been published in ID magazine, Metropolis magazine, Medical Design, Appliance Design magazine, etc. Jeff holds over 50 U.S. and international design and utility patents.
Research Assistants
Lianne Sánchez Rodríguez, MS
PhD Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant
lsanch46@uh.edu
Lianne Sánchez Rodríguez, PHD Student
Lianne Sánchez Rodríguez is currently a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at the University of Houston. She previously received her M.S. in Applied Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and her B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Her interests include Brain-Computer Interfaces, computational neuroscience, connectomics, machine learning, wearables, and, more broadly, medical devices. She also works for Biosense Webster, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson medical device company, as a full-time employee.
Maxine Annel Pacheco Ramírez, BME
PhD Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant
mpachec4@cougarnet.uh.edu
Maxine Annel Pacheco Ramírez, BME, PHD Student
Maxine Annel Pacheco Ramírez is presently a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Houston. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering in June 2023 from Tec de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Mexico. Maxine is currently engaged in research at the Noninvasive Brain-Machine Interface System Laboratory at UH. Her primary areas of interest encompass neuroscience, wearables, medical devices and signal processing.
Workforce Development
Gabriel A. Baquero Sánchez
University of Houston
Undergraduate - Electrical Engineering
2024 REU Program
gabaquer@cougarnet.uh.edu
Gabriel A. Baquero Sánchez
Electrical Engineering student with experience in KiCAD/Altium for PCB design, SolidWorks for CAD modeling, and expertise in 3D printing technologies. Proficient in programming languages including C, C++, and Python, with a strong interest for embedded hardware and system development. I'm passionate about problem-solving, innovation, and leveraging technology to create efficient and impactful solutions.
Zoya Fazal
Barnard College
Neuroscience and Behavior
2025 Internship
zfazal@central.uh.edu
Zoya Fazal
A Neuroscience & Behavior graduate from Barnard College. She is currently researching efficient, safe, and user-centered strategies for implementing BCIs to enhance device accessibility and performance in the industry. In her free time, I love to read, go to the gym, and crochet.
Sarah Wong
University of Houston
Undergraduate - Industrial Design
2022 REU Program
sjwong3@central.uh.edu
Sarah Wong
Sarah Wong is currently a 4th year Industrial Design student at the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. Sarah is a Lupus and stroke survivor and this is what drives her to pursue medical design and create novel devices to assist patients with their challenges. She enjoys model-making, whether for a project or for fun tinkering with 3D modeling, 3D printing, molding, sewing, origami, and crocheting. In summer 2022, she was part of the SURF program and worked to design a device to identify concussions. She is excited to join the NeuroExo team to help prototype devices to assist stroke survivors with disabilities.
David Edquilang
University of Houston
Undergraduate - Industrial Design
2021 REU Program
david.edquilang@gmail.com
David Edquilang
I am currently a 4th year Industrial Design student at the College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston. Prior to my industrial design education, I have experience studying in both the engineering and medical fields. I have a multitude of interests and skills, having designed a wide variety of products covering everything from consumer electronics, to furniture, to prosthetic arms, and other medical devices. What drives me is my interest in materials, manufacturing processes, being hands-on, and creating real solutions to solve real problems. I derive a great sense of satisfaction from the process of forming an idea and bringing it into reality.
Jeremie Noel, BE
Engineering Graduate School, University of Nantes, France
Master student, electronics and computer science
Intern 2023
noeldoc7@gmail.com
Jeremie Noel, Master's student
Jeremie NOEL is in his second year of his Engineering school in France. He should be majoring in Electronics and Computer science in 2024. For the summer 2023, he joined the NeuroExo team. Even though it’s his first experience with research and biomedical, he is really passionate about it and plans to continue into biomedical in the future. He likes to discover new technologies and work on resolving problems in order to help others. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, reading.
Alana Maluszczak
University of Arizona
Undergraduate - Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics
2023 REU Program
ammaluszczak@gmail.com
Alana Maluszczak
Alana Maluszczak is in her 4th year of her undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. She is majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics and has a minor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is very interested in neurotechnology, A.I., and mathematical modeling of neural circuits. Alana plans to attain a PhD in neural engineering with a focus in computational neuroscience. She then wants to continue with her research and become a professor, as she enjoys teaching and tutoring. She also enjoys taking dance classes, reading philosophy, and going on runs.
Jacob Mendez
University of Central Florida
Undergraduate - Mechanical Engineering
2023 REU Program
jacobmendez091@gmail.com
Jacob Mendez
Jacob Jose Mendez Araque is pursuing a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He is very passionate about engineering and Robotics. Jacob plans to pursue a masters after his undergraduate, he hopes to pursue this degree in France. In his free time he enjoys exercising, practicing French, and playing a variety of sports.
Joanna Karina De Gasperín Vázquez
Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
Undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering
2023 REU Program
degasperinvazquez@hotmail.com
Joanna Karina De Gasperín Vázquez
Joanna De Gasperín is pursuing a bachelor degree in Biomedical Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. For the 2023 Fall, she is joining in the NeuroExo team and has participated as a biomedical engineering intern at Zambrano-Hellion Hospital TecSalud in the cognitive neurosciences area. She is very passionate about engineering and health, her focus is to improve neurological health with the help of technology. In her free time she enjoys painting, listening to music, playing the piano and coaching tennis.
Suochun Fang, BE
Master's Student, College of Architecture and Design
Graduate Research Assistant
sfang8@uh.edu
Suochun Fang, Master's student
Suochun Fang is a master's student in the College of Architecture and Design, Industrial Design program. He previously received his Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Design. His competencies include design thinking, 3D modeling and rendering, and prototyping.
Carolina Ramirez
Texas A&M University
Undergraduate - Biomedical Engineering
2021 REU Program
carol.ramirez@tamu.edu
Carolina Ramirez
Carol Ramirez is a rising senior in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, pursuing an undergraduate degree. She is majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a focused track in bioinstrumentation. For the 2021 summer, she is joining the NeuroExo team under Dr. Contreras-Vidal's lab. She is excited for this new project, as she works with leading-edge neurotechnology research to help people affected by stroke-caused disabilities. Her aim is to pursue a career that will work to bring novel and accessible health care/medical equipment to underserved communities, and provide them with a better quality of life. In her free time she also enjoys crafts and outdoor activities.
Jacob Tajchman
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Undergraduate - Sensorimotor Neurotechnology
2021 REU Program
jacob.tajchman@gmail.com
Jacob Tajchman
Jacob's academic background mainly consists of biology and neuroscience, but he is branching into the fields of biomedical engineering and computer science and engineering. His prior research experience is of fibophotometry and behavioral neuroscience. He is interested mainly in the research and development of an interface between the sensorimotor aspects of the nervous system and computer systems, ideally developed with a noninvasive method. He plans to attend graduate school to pursue this interest and to research the technology in grad school and after. In his free time, he enjoys video games with friends, playing with his cats, and practicing martial arts.
Niell Gorman
University of Houston
Undergraduate - College of Architecture and Design
2020 - 2021
nbgorman@uh.edu
Niell Gorman
Niell Gorman is currently a 4th year Industrial Design student at the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. Coming from an arts background, he finds inspiration in drawing, nature, and playing music, and also leads the University of Houston chapter of the Precious Plastic circular plastic economy movement. His aim is to pursue a career in product design, with a focus on medical design, sustainability, and new fabrication technologies.
Kameron Moore
Arizona State University
Undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering and Spanish Linguistics
2020 REU Program
kjmoore8@asu.edu
Kameron Moore
Kameron Moore is pursuing concurrent bachelors degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Spanish Linguistics at Arizona State University in Barrett, the Honors College. From Cave Creek, Arizona, Kameron enjoys spending time outdoors, doing yoga, and cooking. He is very driven and extremely passionate about neurological health, hoping to secure a career improving healthcare for all in the future. Having previously worked in ASU’s Memory and Attention Control Lab, Kameron has experience studying ADD and ADHD through pupil dilation analysis and cognitive task assessment.
Edgar Guzman
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Undergraduate, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering
2020 REU Program
erguzman@cpp.edu
Edgar Guzman
Edgar Guzman is currently a 5 th year student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He will be applying to graduate school during the fall of 2020, where he intendents to research robotics. Specifically, he wants to read brains signals and translate them into robotic (rehabilitation robotics) movements.
Marianna Zanovello
University of Houston
Undergraduate, Mechanical Engineering
2019 REU Program
mlzanovello@uh.edu
Marianna Zanovello, REU Program
Annaleise Gray
University of Houston
Undergraduate, College of Architecture and Design
2019 REU Program
annaleisegray@gmail.com
Annaleise Gray, REU Program
Kristin Schmidt
University of Virginia
Undergraduate, Mechanical Engineering
2019 REU Program
khs4jv@virginia.edu
Kristin Schmidt, REU Program
Kristin Schmidt is an undergraduate student working in the lab this summer through the NSF REU program. Originally from Long Island, NY, Kristin currently attends the University of Virginia, studying mechanical engineering, and plans to graduate in spring 2020. At UVA’s Center for Applied Biomechanics, she studied the role of occupant posture in frontal car crashes. Additionally, Kristin is highly involved in service and outreach activities, such as introducing STEM to elementary school students of minority backgrounds. In the BRAIN Center at UH, Kristin is working to design a novel, low-cost dry cap system to integrate with the “NeuroExo” project.
Robert Sutherland
University of Southern California
Undergraduate, Electrical Engineering
2019 REU Program
rfsuther@usc.edu
Robert Sutherland, REU Program
Robert is a researcher looking to unlock the amazing potential within our brains. His passion for neural interfaces began in high school with an internship at Walter Reed. The time he spent working with veteran amputees inspired him to look to neural prosthetics as a tool for enhancing people's lives. He currently attends the University of Southern California as a Biomedical Engineering Undergrad and assists research in the University of Southern California's BioMEMs lab. Robert plans to continue his research in the fall at Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin studying BMI’s.
Undergraduate International Trainee
Oziel Román Cantú López
Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico)
Undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering
oziel.cantu@udem.edu
Oziel Román Cantú López
My name is Oziel, I’m currently an international trainee at the University of Houston research laboratory participating in the Noninvasive Brain-Machine Interface project. Since I began my engineering studies, I have been interested in advance and technological innovation for the continuous improvement of the quality of life through engineering resources for health. I currently attend to UDEM (University of Monterrey) in Monterrey, MX as an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering student. My plans after this project is to continue my research so I can not only create new technology but ensure that the new people will be able to have a better quality of life with it.
Undergraduate Researchers
Maryam Tahir
University of Houston
Undergraduate, Electrical Engineering
2020 Independent Study
maryam5000tah@gmail.com
Maryam Tahir
Maryam Tahir is a Junior Electrical Engineering Major at the University of Houston. She plans to graduate in Fall 2022. She transferred from LoneStar College where she was part of the Honors College Chancellor's Fellows Program. She also served as secretary of the 'Student of Diverse Abilities' organization where she raised awareness for different disabilities and strived to make the campus more accessible. She was also a participant of the REU 2020 program at UH where she investigated the effect of music on performance during a working memory task. Currently, she is part of the Society of Women Engineers at UH and is a CRLA certified professional tutor at LoneStar College, where she tutors students in Math and Science subjects. In the future, she is interested in becoming more involved in research in the field of medicine and engineering, learning about prosthesis, neurotechnologies, robotics, and medical devices.
Antoinette Louw
University of Houston
Undergraduate, College of Architecture and Design
ant@louw.org
Antoinette Louw
High School Teacher Interns
Diana Rodriguez-Perez
CROEM
2024 Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) Teacher
dianarodriguez.croem@gmail.com
Diana, REM Teacher Intern
Diana Rodríguez-Pérez, a passionate science teacher with 20 years of experience, ignites curiosity in students at CROEM School, a Puerto Rican boarding school specializing in science and math. Her background in chemistry, neuroscience, and research fuels engaging courses. "NeuroMagic," her brain-exploring community outreach program with games and challenges, exemplifies her passion for making science fun and accessible. Outside the classroom, Diana enjoys music, playing the flute, beach days, and movie nights.
Senior Design Students
Tarek Bakeer
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2025
tjbakeer@cougarnet.uh.edu
Julio Sibrian
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2025
jrsibria@cougarnet.uh.edu
Muneer Sayyedahmad
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2025
mgsayyed@cougarnet.uh.edu
Delfino Tzul
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2025
detzul@cougarnet.uh.edu
Tyler Nguyen
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2025
ttngu498@cougarnet.uh.edu
Ajibola Afolabi
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2023
afafolab@cougarnet.uh.edu
Zach A. Harris
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2023
zaharri2@cougarnet.uh.edu
Nam T. Nguyen
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2023
afafolab@cougarnet.uh.edu
Jorge Gonzalez
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2022-2023
jdgonz24@cougarnet.uh.edu
Laura Guzman
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2022-2023
lyguzman@cougarnet.uh.edu
Urhum Syed
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2022-2023
usyed@cougarnet.uh.edu
Marcoantonio Lopez
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2022-2023
mlopez59@cougarnet.uh.edu
Thinh Phan
University of Houston
Senior Design Student 2022-2023
xphan@cougarnet.uh.edu
High School Interns
Morgan Feng
St. Agnes Academy
2024 Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) High School Intern
myfeng@central.uh.edu
Morgan Feng, REM High School Intern
Morgan Feng is a rising junior at St. Agnes Academy. Her passions lie within the STEM field, specifically aiming toward medicine and neuroscience, which led her to seek this opportunity to learn more about neurotechnology involving BMI. She hopes to further grow her knowledge and experience at the IUCRC BRAIN Center and is excited to research topics she's interested in. Outside of her studies, Morgan loves painting and swimming.
Chloe Beaudreau
Carnegie Vanguard High School
2021 High School Internship Program
chloebeaudreau@gmail.com
Chloe Beaudreau, High School Intern
Chloe Beaudreau is a rising senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School. She is a high school intern working on the NeuroExo project at the University of Houston BRAIN center. She first became interested in neurotechnologies through her project to build an adaptive virtual learning system using BCI technology for an independent study class. She currently serves as co-president of the Girls Who Code and HOSA chapters at her school. In her free time, she enjoys running varsity cross country and track and leading the literary magazine and creative writing group at her school. In the future, she is interested in pursuing biomedical engineering and learning more about neurotechnologies and deep neural networks.
Vinay Mannem
The Academy of Science and Technology at the Woodlands College Park High School
2020 High School Internship Program
v.mannem99@gmail.com
Vinay Mannem, High School Intern
My name is Vinay Mannem and I am a rising senior at The Academy of Science and Technology at the Woodlands College Park High School. I am a high school intern working on the NeuroExo project at the University of Houston BRAIN Center. I am an active programming member on my school's robotics team 1477 Texas Torque and I play varsity tennis. In my free time, I tutor elementary and middle school students and work on my other science fair projects. Through science fair, I have worked on developing a belt to assist blind people during commutes through ultrasound and GPS technologies as well as a smart sole to predict foot injuries using pressure sensing data and machine learning to predict diabetes. I also am a member of my school DECA business club.
Ruofan Liu
Carnegie Vanguard High School
2019-2020 High School Internship Program
rliu17@uh.edu
University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth)
Principal Investigator
Gerard Francisco, MD
Chairman and Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)
Director, NeuroRecovery Research Center
Chief Medical Officer, TIRR Memorial Hermann
gerard.e.francisco@uth.tmc.edu
Co-Investigator
Shuo-Hsiu Chang, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
shuo-hsiu.chang@uth.tmc.edu
Harmonic Bionics, Inc
National Instruments
Igor Alvarado
Business Development Manager for Academic Research
igor.alvarado@ni.com
Austin, TX
Past Collaborators
Alexander Craik MSEE, PhD
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant
arcraik@uh.edu
Alexander Craik, PhD
Alexander Craik is currently a doctoral candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Houston. He previously received his M.S. in ECE, his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and his B.A. in Economics. His research involves systems engineering for a custom Brain Computer Interface-enabled stroke rehabilitation device (the NeuroExo) and the use of deep neural networks for decoding neural correlates related to speech and motor intent with EEG. His interests include neuroscience, chess, and speech synthesis.
Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana MSEE, PhD
PhD in Electrical Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant
jgonzalezespana@uh.edu
Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana, PhD
Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana graduated with a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston. He previously received his M.S. in ECE, his M.S. in Computer Science and his B.S. in Electronics Engineering. His research involves the design and development of EEG amplifiers for Dry-Electrode sensors. His interests include IoT, Wearables, Embedded Systems, Hardware Design, and Machine Learning.
Ayman Alamir MS, PhD
PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant
asalamir@uh.edu
Ayman Alamir, PHD
Ayman Alamir is a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and a MS in Biomedical Engineering. He is interested in brain-machine interfaces and neural engineering.
Danny Blacker
Industrial Design
Undergraduate research assistant
dcblacke@CougarNet.uh.edu
Danny Blacker
Danny is an engineering design supervisor at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen since 2016. He specializes in creative solutions to real world problems. A ‘maker’ in every sense of the word. He stay up-to-date with the latest in safety and equipment, and is excited about his role in bringing ethical and accessible, simple and intuitive medical devices to the end user.
Brian Shedd
Director of Technology Commercialization
Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation(OTTI)
bshedd@central.uh.edu
Brian Shedd
Brian Shedd is currently the Director of Technology Commercialization at the University of Houston Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation. In that role, Brian oversees a team tasked with the management of the UH intellectual property portfolio representing more than 2,000 different intellectual properties, and the commercialization of that portfolio resulting in more than 30 agreements per year and generating $50M+ in revenue every year. Prior to UH he was the President and Founder of Precision Technology Consulting, a freelance consulting company providing technology commercialization assistance to companies and research institutions. Brian has also worked in university technology transfer roles at Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Brian has also served as a Board Member to PortTech Los Angeles, a business incubator focused on developing technologies for the Port of Los Angeles. He also served as a Leadership Council Member for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and as a lecturer in the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is also responsible for the co-creation and management of BRUINcubate, the UCLA Entrepreneur Support Network, involving more than 20 different entrepreneurial support organizations located on campus.
Francisco Grandi
University of Houston
Industrial Design
fgrandi@uh.edu
Francisco Grandi
Shaheen Lokhandwala
University of Houston
Office of Technology Transfer
slokhand@Central.uh.edu
Shaheen Lokhandwala
George Gilliespie
Technology Transfer Associate
Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation(OTTI)
gcgillespie@uh.edu
George Gilliespie
Experienced research administrator and seasoned technology commercialization professional with more than 20 years of experience in federal (Army, Energy, NOAA) and university (UNC-Pembroke, University of Maryland and currently University of Houston). Experience locating sources of research sponsorship from federal, industry and foundations. Negotiated and brought to conclusion more than 25 research agreements bringing in approximately $2M in research funding/royalty revenue for federal and academic organizations.
Atilla Kilicarslan, PHD
University of Houston
Research Assistant Professor
a.kilicarslan@gmail.com
Atilla Kilicarslan