Neural interfacing technologies have significantly advanced our understanding of the brain, spinal cord, and broader nervous system by enabling direct access to neural activity and facilitating the development of transformative therapeutic strategies. However, conventional neural interfaces, while foundational to neuroscience and neurotechnology, remain mechanically mismatched to soft neural tissues, costly to fabricate, and difficult to customize. These limitations often lead to chronic inflammation, signal instability, and limited long-term performance. Advances in soft materials, polymer engineering, and bioelectronic design are driving the emergence of neural interfaces that better integrate with biological systems.
Dr. Tao Zhou,
Penn State University
This presentation will highlight novel biomaterials and bioelectronics developed to address the limitations of conventional neural interfaces. These polymer-based materials and devices are engineered to match the mechanical properties of neural tissue, reduce foreign body response, and enable stable in vivo recording and stimulation over extended timescales. Their integration with advanced manufacturing techniques further paves the way for next-generation, customizable neurotechnologies. These innovations collectively contribute to the development of chronically stable systems that can support precision neurotherapeutics, brain-machine interfaces, and emerging applications in bioelectronic medicine.
Dr. Tao Zhou is Wormley Family Early Career Professor at Penn State University in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering. He is also a core faculty member of the Center for Neural Engineering (CNE) and affiliated with Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences and Materials Research Institute. Dr. Zhou received his B.S. and M.S. from Tsinghua University. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Harvard University followed by postdoc research at MIT, before joined Penn State University as an Assistant Professor. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Materials, Nature Methods, Nature Nanotechnology, Nano Letters, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie, etc. He received awards and honors such as National Scholarship for Graduate Students (2013), Harvard CBI Simmons Awards (2015), MRS Best Oral Presentation Award (2020), Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2024) and NSF CAREER Award (2025). His group works on advanced biomaterials and biodevices for neural interfacing, with an overall goal of studying/manipulating the nervous systems and improving human health.