Newswise — Lei Ding, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, was recently honored with IEEE’s Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2016 Early Career Achievement Award. One winner is selected from multiple nominations in this category. The award is for significant contributions to the field of biomedical engineering made by an individual who is within 10 years of completing their highest degree at the time of the nomination.
Ding has made seminal original contributions to research in functional neuroimaging technologies, multimodal neuroimaging technologies, brain network mapping technologies, neuroenhancement and neuromodulation technologies. He works with these technologies to find potential better methods of early diagnosis and treatments of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including autism, cerebral palsy and balance disorder.
“From finding better ways to identify mental fatigue in air traffic controllers to monitoring brain functions in at-risk infants, Professor Ding has invented clever new ways to leverage neural engineering and neuroimaging to improve healthcare for people of all ages,” said Michael Detamore, director of the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering. “He and his team are at the forefront of developing powerful new technologies to help decode the most complex organ in the body, the human brain.”
Ding is currently managing three research projects sponsored by NSF, which support the development of adaptive neuroimaging technologies and their applications to human populations at all age ranges. His other two projects are funded through the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, one of which is a center grant for technical train and human performance in aviation.
Ding is also a Lloyd and Joyce Austin Presidential Professor, an OU Biomedical Engineering Center professor, an affiliated professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineer, and adjunct professor at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The EMBS is the world’s oldest and largest international society of biomedical engineers. The Society advances the application of engineering innovations and technologies to medicine and biology, promotes the profession, and provides global leadership for the benefit of its members and humanity by disseminating knowledge, setting standards, fostering professional development, and recognizing excellence.
###
ABOUT:The University of Oklahoma Gallogly College of Engineering challenges students to solve the world’s toughest problems through a powerful combination of education, entrepreneurship, research, and community service and student competitions. Research is focused on both basic and applied topics of societal significance including biomedical engineering, energy, engineering education, civil infrastructure, nanotechnology and weather technology.
The programs within the college’s eight areas of study are consistently ranked in the top third of engineering programs in the U.S. The college faculty has achieved annual research expenditures of more than $22 million and created numerous start-up companies over the recent past.