Penn Brain Science, Translation, Innovation, and Modulation Center
Welcome
The Penn Brain Science, Translation, Innovation, and Modulation (brainSTIM) Center brings together a team of leading neuroscientists, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and engineers from the University of Pennsylvania who use groundbreaking neuromodulation techniques to research, repair, and enhance human brain function. In order to accomplish this goal, the brainSTIM Center has created a framework for cooperation that cuts across departmental and institutional boundaries. The center promotes intellectually rewarding, productive, and novel scientific collaborations in the field of neuromodulation by leveraging critical skills and resources, creating unique opportunities for growth, innovation, and sustainability for neuromodulation research.
The brainSTIM Center will be holding its third annual TMS Workshop on Sept 17-19, 2025. More information can be found on the TMS Workshop 2025 tab, along with the link to register. Please note that this workshop is designed for researchers and not clinicians.
brainSTIM News
-
Brain power on display at the Franklin Institute: Penn research as part of an iconic Philadelphia exhibit
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Two of the featured items in the new Franklin Institute's new Body Odyssey exhibit come from faculty within the Penn brainSTIM Center and the Department of Neurology, which was also the first in the nation.
Flavia Vitale, PhD, an associate professor of Neurology and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and an associate Professor in Bioengineering at Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science, donated two experimental devices that she created to the Body Odyssey exhibit. The first is an E-Skin Sensor Array, or a wearable “glove” comprised of dozens of sensors made from a flexible gel-like material, called MXene. The sensors are custom-fabricated for each wearer to fit like a second skin. The device is applied directly to an individual’s skin and can be used both to send signals to the nerves and muscles, as well as receive information on how and when the muscles, nerves, and tendons are engaged.
Another item donated and on exhibit from Penn neurologists is a transcranial electric stimulation (TES) device from Roy H. Hamilton, MD, a professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Director of both the Penn Brain Science, Innovation, Translation and Modulation (brainSTIM) Center and the Laboratory for Cognition & Neural Stimulation. TES is a non-invasive technique that excites neurons in the brain via electric pulses passed through the scalp between electrodes. While not currently available to patients in the United States, the stimulation has produced promising results in early trials to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and aphasia, a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate effectively through speech or writing.
More information about the Body Odyssey exhibit can be found on the Franklin Institute website: https://fi.edu/en/exhibits-and-experiences/body-odyssey
brainSTIM Center Events
-
CNDS Neuromodulation and Neuroimaging Relevant to Affective Disorders Speaker Series
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
1:30 PM
Date: Wednesday, May 7th, 2025, 1:30 PM
Title: Individualizing Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Substance Use Disorders: Opportunities and Challenges
Speaker: Ghazaleh Soleimani, MSc, PhD
Please contact Gianna Perez for the zoom link:
gperez97@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
-
MindCORE/brainSTIM Seminar: Katherine Dunlop
Friday, November 1, 2024
12:00pm - 1:15pm
Date: November 1, 2024, 12:00-1:15PM
Speaker: Katherine Dunlop, Department of Neurosciences and Clinical Translation, Keenan Research Centre Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
Description: Aging and the Depressed Brain
Healthy aging is characterized by cognitive decline and alterations in brain structure and function. Deviations in the rate of decline in these areas may reflect accelerated aging, potentially predicting illness risk or poor prognosis. Individuals diagnosed with major depression experience a more rapid cognitive decline alongside changes in brain structure and function. However, interpreting age-related decline in this population is complicated by significant symptom and clinical heterogeneity.
My research leverages large, densely phenotyped clinical cohorts to better understand this heterogeneity, with the goal of developing precise and effective clinical interventions. In my talk, I will explore the cognitive and neuroimaging correlates of aging, and how they are altered in the context of depression. I will highlight novel applications of brain aging to understand age-related factors in depression, with a focus on executive function, suicidality, and treatment response. Lastly, I will introduce subtyping approaches as a means to better understand the complexities of aging and heterogeneity within this population.
*This seminar will also be streamed via Zoom. For the link, please contact: pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu