Professor, Department of Bioengineering
Dr. Normann’s research interests lie with neuroprosthetics, microelectrode arrays, interfaces to the nervous system, applied neuroscience, and vision neurophysiology. Work is ongoing in applied and basic studies of the central nervous system. Key in this work is the development of three-dimensional, silicon-based electrode arrays to be used to stimulate or record from the neurons of the central nervous system. Passing currents through arrays implanted in visual or auditory parts of the brain could produce a sense of sight in the blind or hearing in the deaf. If implanted in the motor parts of the brain, these arrays could be used to record neural signals for controlling external systems (like a wheelchair). The arrays are also being used to study the parallel processing of sensory information by the retina and higher visual centers.