Dr. Saman Sargolzaei, director of Brain Autonomy and Resiliency Lab and an associate professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee at Martin, will deliver the Fall Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Lecture at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, in Room 206 of the Boling University Center.
His talk will delve into the ethical, legal, and cultural dilemmas surrounding research and technologies that influence the human brain. Neuroethics, an emerging field, examines the implications of advancements in neuroscience and neurotechnology.
Over the past decade, both public and private initiatives have created new tools to enhance our understanding of the brain, including technologies that can sense, record, and decode brain signals. Research has also focused on stimulating, modifying, and augmenting brain function.
“While much of the current work is centered on medical and therapeutic applications, there are already examples of commercial technologies aimed at wellness, behavior modification, education, and gaming,” Sargolzaei noted.
The responsible development and application of neurotechnologies will require extensive collaboration among engineers, scientists, policymakers, corporations, and other societal stakeholders.
Sargolzaei leads the Brain Autonomy and Resiliency Lab, overseeing interdisciplinary projects funded in fields such as autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, and agricultural cybersecurity. His doctoral research at Florida International University investigated how brain networks can help diagnose and assess neurological disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
His additional graduate and postdoctoral work has included mapping neural pathways, developing implantable assistive technologies, and studying the impacts of mild traumatic brain injury and concussions on brain networks.
This event, organized by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, is open to the public. While reservations are not required, they can be made through UT Martin’s Runway events page. For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Hill, president of Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 127, at 731-881-7292.
