Richard B. Brown, dean of engineering at the University of Utah, will discuss the impact of engineering on human health and quality of life by sharing research related to electronic interfaces to the nervous system on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. in 238 Broun Hall. His lecture, “Microsystem Technology for Neural Interfaces,” is hosted by Auburn University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Brown will discuss fabricated arrays of in vitro silicon neurosensors that detect both electrical signals and neurotransmitter levels in human neuron cultures, as well as micro e-CoG electrodes placed on the surface of the human motor cortex, giving signals that were decoded into 10 spoken words. He will also discuss research on artificial eyes, cochlear prostheses and volitional muscle control for paralyzed limbs as examples of promising human-machine interfaces.

Brown earned his doctorate in electrical engineering at the University of Utah, where he developed one of the first “smart sensors,” an array of liquid chemical sensors with integrated electronics. He joined the faculty at the University of Michigan where he served as associate chair of electrical engineering and interim chair of electrical engineering and computer science. Brown was appointed dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Utah in 2004. He holds 17 patents and has written more than 225 peer-reviewed publications. In 26 years as a professor, Brown has advised 29 doctoral students.