Impactful Healthcare: SMU 莱尔 Alum’s Innovative 研究 for Neurological Disorders at UTSW

David Wang is using his engineering expertise to revolutionize the way neurological disorders are understood.

When the SMU 莱尔 alum left China to pursue a master's in 电气工程, he never thought someday he would be pioneering innovation in medical technology at UT西南医学中心 as the clinical research manager working on brain-related health conditions. 但他一直对医学很感兴趣.

“当我还是个孩子的时候, 我知道我想在医疗保健领域有所作为,王说, 2016年在新大开始他的研究生生涯.

Wang's research as a graduate student was primarily in the fields of biomedical engineering and neuroscience led by his advisor, Dr. 卡洛斯·戴维拉他教他的计算神经科学课程. 在博士. 戴维拉的指导, he authored a compelling master's thesis focusing on the signal processing of auditory brain potentials. He submitted a paper on the topic to the IEEE EMBS conference in Berlin, inspiring him to continue continue his academic journey and pursue a Ph.D. 莱尔在新加坡管理大学攻读电气工程专业.

"David showed tremendous growth as a researcher while he pursued his Ph.D.," Dr. 戴维拉说. “在新大念书的时候, we published two journal articles and one conference paper, demonstrating his knowledge and ability to tackle complication signal analysis problems."

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在攻读博士学位期间.D., Wang had the opportunity to collaborate on a project with Dr. 布拉德北方联盟党, UTSW癫痫项目的神经外科负责人, associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery and principal investigator of the Texas Computational Memory Lab.

“I began working on really cutting-edge studies at UTSW focusing on electrical brain stimulation for improving memory formation,王说. “I found my passions in both learning about healthcare in the department of 电气工程 and also in the neurosurgery medical department.”

In May 2022, Wang graduated from SMU 莱尔 with his master’s and Ph.D. 在电气工程中. 他在积极寻找一份职业, mixing both worlds of 电气工程 and medicine.

“Using engineering methodologies in the medical field is something I really enjoyed,他说. “That is what helped me land the job in the department of neurosurgery at UTSW shortly after graduating from SMU.”

Wang’s work revolves around the implementation of engineering methods to capture brain dynamics through a technique known as deep brain stimulation (DBS), to develop therapeutic brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for controlling neuromodulation. DBS is meant to restore brain function, while aiding in memory restoration.

“My work is really for anyone with disorders involving the brain,王说. 这可能包括癫痫, memory loss and other hippocampal cortical functions associated with neurodegenerative diseases.”

到目前为止, Wang and his team are in the first stage of a clinical trial for the development of implantable brain devices. “We recently got funded an FDA grant to further our research to expand studies to schizophrenia, 癫痫, 以及其他精神疾病,他说. “We are constantly working on results and submitting reports to the Institutional Review Boards through FDA regulations, 所以有一天它可以进入大众市场.”

现在, Wang and his team are using computer model stimulators and macro devices for their clinical trial.

“Our ultimate goal is to combat everything into a concise and smaller device,他说. “但我们离那一点还有几年的时间.”

Wang credits his groundbreaking research and professional achievements to the education and practical knowledge he acquired during his time at SMU 莱尔. 感谢莱尔学校的支持, as well as the assistance provided by staff and faculty throughout his doctoral journey, 他怀着感激之情回顾自己的时光.

“我为新大莱尔学到了很多，”他说. “Nobody really told me where the education at SMU 莱尔 would lead me and how I’d end up working at UTSW in the medical field.”

His hope is to continue working on implantable brain devices, revolutionizing the way neurological disorders are understood and ultimately bringing hope to individuals fighting those conditions. 尤其是他正在进行的临床试验, Wang feels hopeful that it can make a difference in the neurological healthcare world.

“虽然我的人生并没有让我成为一名医生, I can still make a difference for patients with the research I am doing,王说. “我不觉得自己是一块拼图, 而是一颗小小的螺丝钉, 只是为了让事情继续下去, 希望将来能让别人受益.”

关于Bobby B. 莱尔工程学院
SMU's 莱尔工程学院 thrives on innovation that transcends traditional boundaries. 我们坚信外部资金的力量, industry-supported research to drive progress and provide exceptional students with valuable industry insights. Our mission is to lead the way in digital transformation within engineering education, all while ensuring that every student graduates as a confident leader. 成立于1925年, SMU 莱尔 is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest, 提供本科和研究生课程, 包括硕士和博士学位.

关于SMU 
SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU的校友, 教职员工近12人,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, 社区与世界.