John Downey
Developing brain controlled robotic arms at the University of Chicago.
Part of the Cortical Bionics Research Group and Sensorimotor Bionics.
- Reposted by John DowneyNIH and some outside interest groups are trying to force the closing of the Oregon National Primate Research Center, and it looks like they might win. This would be a huge blow for translational research. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
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- Reposted by John DowneyThe Senate version of the NIH appropriations bill has language that limits the use of multiyear/upfront funding. Please call your Senators and Representatives to make sure it is in the final bill. We must stop the brain drain in our research workforce before it's too late.
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- Reposted by John DowneyNow out in @natneuro.nature.com What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed? Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7 🧵1/18
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- Reposted by John DowneyThe most recent CBRG preprint on intracortical microstimulation is now available! Over 24 combined years across 5 participants, we delivered 168 million!!! pulses of stimulation and recorded everything that happened. www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by John DowneyWe had a great time at the @bcisociety.bsky.social meeting in Banff, Canada. We gathered almost all (@hunterschone.bsky.social?) the CBRG attendees (current and former) for the official photo. @jenpitt.bsky.social @giacomovalle.bsky.social @johndowney.bsky.social @miskarous.bsky.social
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- Reposted by John DowneyAtlanta friends, I want to extend a special invitation to have you join us for a really unique event we're hosting on May 7 called "Wired Lives: Personal Stories of Brain Implants": neuro.gatech.edu/wired-lives-...
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- Reposted by John DowneyNew in @science.org our study "Tactile edges and motion via patterned microstimulation of the human somatosensory cortex". 🦾 🧠 ⚡ science.org/doi/10.1126/... Interesting related perspective by prof. Paul Marasco science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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- Our new publication in Human Brain Mapping is a roadmap to implanting stimulation electrodes to evoke tactile sensations on the fingers of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) users. We share the plan and results for 5 study participants across a decade at 2 sites. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
- We used fMRI and MEG to map finger representation of somatosensory cortex in paralyzed participants. The order of the map was consistent across participants, but the exact location on the gyrus was variable.
- Reposted by John DowneyCan the motor system use sensory expectations to prepare for unexpected events? Excited to share my latest work with @andpru.bsky.social – where we establish that sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits! 🧵 and paper below 1/
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- I'm excited to share a recent publication from our @corticalbionics.bsky.social research group, led by the team at the University of Chicago. Restored sensation is so important for improving prosthetic hands for people with motor impairments, and our latest efforts yielded some impressive results.
- Our group has a new paper out now in Nature BME, led by Charles Greenspon. It covers a number of updates on how we can restore tactile sensation from the hand using intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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- Reposted by John DowneyBCIs list! Still finding folks on here so please message me if you'd like to be added.at://did:plc:qtfeviyy3itfvty2m3prekyt/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3lc7jzwjxoh22
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- There's a great new story out today in Nature about the state of sensory neuroprosthetic research. It features one of our participants from the University of Chicago and glimpses of exciting research from around the world. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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- We are seeking a postdoc to work in sensorimotor neuroscience with brain-computer interfaces (BCI). The projects will focus on dexterous hand control through neural recordings and restoration of sensation to neural stimulation.
- Check out our first paper, out today, from the Cortical Bionics Research Group's (@corticalbionics.bsky.social) multisite brain-computer interface (BCI) clinical trial for people with upper-limb paralysis at UChicago and @pitt.bsky.social . 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
