CNBI Lab Members Faculty José del R. MillánProfessorhttp://www.ece.utexas.edu/people/faculty/jose-del-r-millan https://sites.utexas.edu/jdrmillan/jose-del-r-millan/ PhD Students Minsu ZhangMinsu's research interests lie in the clinical applications of non-invasive brain stimulation interfaces, with focus on implementing closed-loop neural controlSharon SibySharon Siby is a Physics Ph.D. student in the CNBI lab at the University of Texas at Austin, co-advised by Dr. José del R. Millán and Dr. William Gilpin. She earned her BS-MS in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram.Her research explores computational approaches to improve adaptability and skill acquisition in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces.Anastasiia MelnichukAna is a Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate at UT Austin specializing in EEG BCIs. Although a Neuroscientist and Psychologist by training (BA, University of Buffalo), her love for math and computer science drove her to bridge these fields, hoping to translate neuroscience into impactful technology for both healthy and clinical populations. Currently, Ana’s work spans two primary domains: enhancing human performance by reducing distractibility and improving human-robot interaction through BCI-integrated reinforcement learning systems. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to concerts, experimenting with new recipes, and staying active at the gym.Jayanth R TaranathJayanth is a graduate student in electrical engineering studying systems neuroscience in rodents in the CNBI lab with co-supervision from Dr. Laura Colgin (Neuroscience). He is interested in biological and artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, and the foundations of learning and memory, using the hippocampus as a model system. His current project uses the ApoE4 rat model of Alzheimer’s disease to probe hippocampal deficits and inspire future therapies. Beyond the lab, he’s drawn to Indian and Western metaphysics, psychology, and music.Alexandra MikhaelAlex is currently a PhD student supervised by Prof. Millán in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. During her PhD she wants to focus on understanding how the brain ages, creating brain-machine interfaces to assist people suffering from cognitive decline and attentional deficits. Prior to this, she was a researcher in the Translational Neural Engineering lab at UCSD where she focused on speech decoding using intracranial EEG and vowel perception. She received her M.Eng degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at UCSD in 2024 and also worked on microfabrication of EEG/ECoG arrays. Her current research interests include brain-machine interfaces, wearable systems, signal processing, robotics and neuroscience. Sergio Sánchez MansoSergio is currently a PhD student supervised by Prof. Millán at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on creating noninvasive Brain-Computer Interfaces for the decoding of fine motor skill for hand prosthetics using Foundation Models and state-of-the-art Deep Learning methods. Prior to this, he was a researcher at neuroengineering labs both at Johns Hopkins University and Tsinghua University, institutions from which he received his MSE in BME, completing a variety of projects of both noninvasive and invasive nature. Examples of past research include the study of electrical stimulation patterns for nerve activation and inhibition specificity using computational models, or the generation of unsupervised classification methods for sleep stages decoding using invasive electrophysiological data. Additionally, Sergio is a LaCaixa Foundation Fellow.Arman PaydarfarArman Paydarfar is a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering focused on assistive robotics and noninvasive brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) for device control. His research lies at the intersection of neural signal processing, machine learning, and real-time human-in-the-loop robotic control systems, with an emphasis on system-level implementation that interfaces with robotic controllers and embedded hardware in real time.He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University, where he specialized in robotics and control systems. During his time at Columbia, he was a member of the Robotics and Rehabilitation Laboratory, where he worked on wearable sensing systems for human movement analysis and activity recognition. Prior to beginning his Ph.D., Arman worked as a Senior Engineer in the medical device industry, contributing to the development of diagnostic technologies. His experience spans both early-stage startup environments and large, established companies, where he focused on hardware R&D, supporting new product development as well as improvements to existing systems. This background provided a strong foundation in building robust, clinically oriented technologies.His current research aims to bridge the gap between advanced BCI algorithms and real-world deployment, with a focus on reliability, adaptability, and usability in clinical populations. PostDocs Undergrad & Master Students Isabella DiazIsabella is a fourth-year undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her current research uses EEG to measure brain activity and examine how transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) affects working memory. She is especially interested in developing neurotechnologies that enhance cognitive function in individuals with neurological disorders. Outside of academics, Isabella enjoys trying new recipes, exploring nature, and volunteering at animal shelters.Rory D. AdlRory is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in Biomechanics. He currently assists with the clinical interaction side of lab projects. Rory’s interests span various BCI technologies, specifically the intersection of human motion biomechanics, neurological stimulation for anatomical movement, and neuromuscular disorders. An aspiring physician, Rory plans to attend medical school following the completion of his undergraduate degree. Chris DengChris is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests include signal processing and its applications in neural technology. At the moment, he is investigating the use of sparse coding for improved EEG decoding in brain-computer interfaces.Donovan Davion SantineDonovan is a second-year Honors Biomedical Engineering student at UT Austin focused on passive BCI paradigms, with hands-on work in ear-EEG acquisition, custom hydrogel electrode fabrication using AIRTrode protocols, and signal pipeline development for BCI applications. He is particularly interested in how AI agent orchestration frameworks can augment BCI systems, enabling adaptive neural interfaces that move past static decoder architectures toward context-aware, closed-loop control. Outside the lab, he is drawn to a largely unexplored intersection of two fast-moving fields, convinced that the next leap in BCI usability will come not just from better electrodes, but from smarter orchestration of the intelligence sitting behind them. When he is not running EEG sessions or digging into evoked potential literature, he is projecting at Austin Bouldering Project or hunting down a well-made latte. He brings the same mentality to a V6 and a noisy EEG epoch: find the signal, cut the noise, stick the move. Research Assistant Evan E. OrmondEvan Ormond is a Research Associate at the University of Texas at Austin working on a closed-loop brain stimulation study investigating neuromodulation as an intervention for cognitive decline. She graduated from UT Austin with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Human Ecology.Her work uses TMS and EEG to measure real-time neural responses and assess changes in cognitive function. She is particularly interested in the clinical applications of neuromodulation and plans to pursue an MD.Outside of the lab, she enjoys being with her family, going to the movies, and hanging out with her cats. Visiting Students & Professors Erick GuzmanVisiting Professor | Autonomous University of Guadalajara, MexicoErick Guzman is a visiting researcher from Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.His research focuses on brain–computer interfaces, neuroprosthetics, and multimodal biosignal processing for motor rehabilitation. His current work aims at developing translational BCI systems to support motor recovery in stroke patients and assistive technologies for individuals with motor impairments.His interests include neuroengineering, biomedical signal analysis, embedded systems, and human–machine interaction.
