Cutting edge research at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster is attracting world-class scientists to the North West.

The most recent addition to the IRSC research team is Dr Rakesh Kumar Sinha, a renowned Biomedical Instrumentation and bio-signal processing expert from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India.

Dr Sinha, who is the recipient of the prestigious Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellowship, will conduct a year-long research project that could lead to major advances in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology. In collaboration with the ISRC’s Brain Computer Interface and Assistive Technology (BCIAT) team, he will investigate the correlations between autonomic responses of the body with stereotype EEG variations during voluntary motor imagination.  

BCI technology uses brain activity to give people with severe motor disabilities a powerful new communication and control option. It has many practical applications which include: neuro feedback for stroke rehabilitation; epileptic seizure prediction; awareness detection for long distance drivers; and personalised computing environment adaptation. BCI is also emerging as an augmentative technology in computer games and virtual reality applications..

Dr Girijesh Prasad, leader of the Magee based BCIAT team said:  “We are making great progress towards devising practical BCI systems which will have enormous potential to improve the quality of life of people suffering from severe motor impairments due to neurological disorders and spinal cord injuries.  A much enhanced and practical BCI can be developed by bio-inspired fusion of correlated autonomic signals with EEG signals obtained during motor imagery tasks.  The expertise brought by Dr Sinha will be of immense value to our research.”

The Director of the ISRC Professor Martin McGinnity added: “It is a great honour for us to welcome Dr Sinha to work with us at the ISRC. The Leverhulme Fellowship underlines the IRSC’s ability to attract world class researchers”.

The Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellowship is designed to attract young outstanding scientists to work in the UK. With annual funding of some £40 million, the Trust is among the largest providers of research funding in the UK.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
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