Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine Join BrainGate Consortium for Paralysis Research

Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have joined the BrainGate consortium to develop brain-computer interface technologies that help people with paralysis regain independence, according to a press release.

BrainGate is a collaboration of universities and medical centers working on implantable systems that link the brain with external devices. The new team in Texas will focus on decoding brain signals to control robotic assistive devices, enabling individuals with tetraplegia to perform tasks such as eating and drinking on their own.

At Rice, assistant professor Nishal Shah will lead the creation of computational infrastructure that translates neural activity into movement commands for robotic systems. At Baylor, Dr. Sameer Sheth will oversee clinical operations, including participant recruitment and surgical placement of electrode arrays.

The project aims to refine algorithms that convert complex brain activity into control signals for robotic arms or speech prostheses. It marks the beginning of a broader effort by Rice and Baylor to explore how brain-computer interfaces can also support research into cognitive and emotional processes related to mental health disorders.