Miguel Nicolelis

Miguel A. L. Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., holds the esteemed position of Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience at Duke University, where he also serves as a Professor of Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a pioneer in the field of neuronal population coding, brain-machine interfaces (BMI), and neuroprosthetics, both in human patients and non-human primates. His groundbreaking work in these areas includes the development of brain-controlled exoskeletons, one of which enabled paraplegic Juliano Pinto to kick the first ball at the 2014 World Cup.

Beyond his contributions at Duke, Nicolelis is the founder of both the Center for Neuroengineering at Duke and the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal. His innovative research has also led to the formation of the Walk Again Project, which is focused on using an exoskeleton device to help severely paralyzed patients regain full body mobility. Nicolelis's introduction of chronic, multi-site, multi-electrode recordings has become a method used globally in neuroscience research, enhancing the understanding and potential treatments for severe paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.

Nicolelis is a respected author, with works such as "Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines and How It Will Change Our Lives" and "The Relativistic Brain: How it Works and Why it Cannot be Simulated by a Turing Machine." He is a member of both the French and Brazilian Academies of Science, and holds three US patents. His extensive research continues to influence multiple fields, including computer science, robotics, and biomedical engineering, and holds significant promise for future therapeutic applications.