Team

E.J. Chichilnisky, PhD
John R. Adler Professor of Neurosurgery
Professor of Ophthalmology Professor of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Chichilnisky trained in mathematics and neuroscience at Princeton and Stanford Universities, and began his independent research career at the Salk Institute. He joined the faculty at Stanford in 2013. The goal of his research is to understand how the neural circuitry of the retina encodes visual information, and to use this knowledge in the development of artificial retinas for treating incurable blindness. His lab is now entirely devoted to the mission of the Artificial Retina Project.

Dante Muratore, PhD
Assistant Professor, Bioelectronics Section, TU Delft

Dr. Muratore is an assistant professor in the Bioelectronics Section at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, where he leads the Smart Brain Interfaces group. His group investigates hardware and system solutions for high-bandwidth brain-machine interfaces that can interact with the nervous system at natural resolution. They contribute solutions for massively parallel bidirectional interfaces, on-chip neural signal processing, and wireless power and data transfer. His role in the Artificial Retina Project is to design the circuits and systems needed for the implantable neural interface.

Subhasish Mitra, PhD
Professor of Electrical Engineering Professor of Computer Science

Dr. Mitra's research focuses on designing robust computer systems and information appliances. It covers various aspects of very-large-scale integration design and testing, computer-aided design, computer architecture and design in future nanotechnologies. His role in the Artificial Retina Project includes design of novel digital circuits and algorithms to process recorded neural signals in a way that permits the device to effectively control, or “program”, the activity of neurons.

Ruwan Silva, MD, MPhil
Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology

Dr. Silva is a board certified and fellowship trained vitreoretinal surgeon in the department of ophthalmology at Stanford University Medical Center. His clinical practice focuses mainly on macular degeneration and retinal vascular disease. Surgically, he specializes in diseases of the vitreous and retina. His role in the Artificial Retina Project includes development of surgical strategies and implantation technology necessary to create a faithful, high-fidelity electrical connection between the implant and the neural circuitry of the retina.

Marty Breidenbach
Professor of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Stanford University

Dr. Breidenbach’s research interests include e+e- colliding beam physics: R&D for a new detector for NLC, with a particular interest in complete detector optimization and Si-W electromagnetic calorimeters.

Greg Horwitz, PhD
Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington
Chief of the Neuroscience Division, Washington National Primate Research Center

Dr. Horwitz’s research focuses on the representation of visual images in the cerebral cortex. His role in the Artificial Retina Project is to design and implement psychophysical and electrophysiological assays for in vivo implant function.

Amin Arbabian, PhD
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Arbabian’s research covers circuit and system design for biomedical, sensing, and Internet of Things applications. He explores the design of emerging and hybrid medical imaging modalities and investigates new technologies for wireless implants, including ultrasonic power and data links. His work in sensing includes methods to enable next-generation interfaces as well as methods of remote detection and imaging. His role in the Artificial Retina Project includes design of wireless transmission system that connects the implanted and external components of the implant, and that can achieve high data transmission bandwidth within the constraints imposed by the air-body interface.

Jose Davila, MD
Ophthalmology Resident, Stanford University

Dr. Davila’s research interests include retinal electrophysiology, automated retinal image analysis, and innovative approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease.

Christopher Kenney
SLAC Senior Staff Scientist, Stanford University

Boris Murmann, PhD
Professor of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Murmann’s research interests are in mixed-signal integrated circuit design, with special emphasis on sensor interfaces, data converters and custom circuits for machine learning. His role in the Artificial Retina Project includes development of novel recording and stimulation hybrid circuits that permit the implant to efficiently acquire and transmit the high-bandwidth neural signals necessary to create an effective high-resolution implant.  

Daniel Palanker, PhD
Professor of Ophthalmology, Stanford University

Dr. Palanker is working on optical and electronic technologies for diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical and prosthetic applications, primarily in ophthalmology. These studies include laser-tissue interactions with applications to non-damaging retinal laser therapy and to ocular surgery with ultrafast lasers. In the field of electro-neural interfaces, Dr. Palanker is developing a retinal prosthesis for restoration of sight to the blind and implants for electronic control of organs, including secretory glands and blood vessels. He is also working on interferometric imaging of neural signals.

Liam Paninski, PhD
Professor of Statistics, Columbia University

Dr. Paninski researches statistical models of neural coding. He specializes in statistical analysis at various levels of the neural code, from ensembles of simultaneously-recorded spike trains down to voltage fluctuations in individual dendritic compartments.

Wei Han Yu, PhD
Macao Fellow, University of Macau

Dr. Yu’s research focuses on RF, machine learning, and neural interface microelectronics. His role in the project is working on IC design for the interface.