Elmer Lincoln Lindseth Professor in Biomedical Engineering
Director, Neural Engineering Center
Editor in Chief, Journal of Neural Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Physiology and Biophysics, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Distinguished University Professor Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Durand's research is in the area of Neural Engineering. Neural Engineering is a new discipline at the interface between engineering and neuroscience. In the Durand's Laboratory, research topics combines computational neuroscience, engineering and electrophysiology to solve problems in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
In the central nervous system, the focus is on epilepsy and electrical stimulation of the brain. In particular, the mechanisms of synchronization of neuronal activity during epilepsy are investigated using in-vitro brain slice preparations, in-vivo multiple electrode recording and computer models. The interaction between applied currents and neuronal tissue are studied to determine the feasibility of controlling seizures in patients with epilepsy.
In the peripheral nervous system, the focus is on neural interfacing with the peripheral nervous system and the development of neural prostheses. The goal is to restore function in patients with stroke of spinal cord injury and to provide voluntary control of artificial limbs to patients with amputation. Novel nerve electrodes are being developed capable of stimulating and recording neuronal activity selectively.
Recent Publications:
McCallum GA, Xiaohong Sui, Chen Qiu, Joseph Marmerstein, Yang Zheng, Thomas E. Eggers, Chuangang Hu, Liming Dai, Dominique M. Durand, Chronic interfacing with the autonomic nervous system using carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn electrodes, Nature Scientific Reports, 1, 11723, 2017
Thomas E. Eggers, Yazan M. Dweiri, Grant A. McCallum, Dominique M. Durand, Recovering Motor Intent from Chronic Peripheral Nerve Recordings, Scientific reports 8 (1), 14149
Chia-Chu Chiang, Rajat S. Shivacharan, Xile Wei, Luis E. Gonzalez-Reyes, and Dominique M Durand "Slow periodic activity in the longitudinal hippocampal slice can self-propagate non-synaptically by a mechanism consistent with ephaptic coupling", Journal of Physiology (London), 597 (1), 249-269.
A perspective was published on this article by Clayton Dickson, Professor at University Alberta
Nicholas H. Couturier and Dominique M Durand: Corpus callosum low frequency stimulation suppresses seizures in an acute rat model of focal cortical seizures, Epilepsia 59 (12), 2219-2230, 2018. This manuscript has received the EPILESIA basic science award for 2019 to be awarded at the International Epilepsy Congress in Bangkok, June 2019.
A commentary was published in Epilepsy highlighting the work: Commentary on: Corpus callosum low‐frequency stimulation suppresses seizures in an acute rat model of focal cortical seizures by Shraddha Srinivasan and Catherine A. Schevon, Epilepsia. 2019;00:1–2.
