BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence F. Wang METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260319T114500 DTEND:20260319T131500 DTSTAMP:20260319T114500 UID:phd-defence-f-wang@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260922T224305 LOCATION:Main building VU, 1105, Aula, De Boelelaan, 1081 HV, Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence F. Wang X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Cortical neural pros thesis for restoration of vision

Neuroscientist Fe ng Wang demonstrates that we can help blind people by "drawing" image s in their brains.

Millions of people are blind due to damage between the eye and the brain. Glasses offer no solution for them. The scientific problem is how we can "inject" visual informatio n directly into the brain.

Wang's research question was whether we can generate recognizable patterns with a thousand electrodes, an d whether this works for years. He proved that complex "pixel vision" is possible, but also discovered a "biological wall": scar tissue ar ound hard sensors reduces the quality. This insight is crucial for th e development of future, flexible materials that last a lifetime.

In his research, Wang demonstrates that we can help blind people b y "drawing" images directly into their brains. Wang placed a thousand tiny needles (electrodes) in the brains of monkeys. By stimulating t hese with small currents, they saw dots of light, just like pixels on a screen. This allowed them to recognize letters and shapes without using their eyes.

Flexible materials
His ma in conclusion is that this works fantastically for recognizing images , but that the body protests after a few years. Scar tissue forms aro und the needles, causing the signal to fade. Wang and his colleagues have thus proven that the technology works, but that in the future we need softer, flexible materials that don't irritate the brain.

The findings show that a functional "brain implant for vision" is te chnically feasible. For the millions of people who are currently comp letely blind, this means a future in which they can once again naviga te independently or read texts without being dependent on others.

Although the researchers have proven that we can "draw" complex im ages in the brain, the concrete application for the general patient i s not expected for another 10 to 20 years. The current "biological wa ll" first requires new, flexible materials. A concrete example is a b lind person who, thanks to the implant, can once again recognize traf fic signs or see a grandchild's smile as a pattern of dots of light. This aligns with the current revolution in brain-computer interaction s, as seen at companies like Neuralink.

Computer simula tions
For this research, Wang combined advanced laborator y experiments with innovative computer simulations and clinical trial s.

First, the scientists implanted a record number of 1,000 ele ctrodes into the visual cortex of test subjects to investigate whethe r they could convert artificial points of light into recognizable ima ges, such as letters. Parallel to this, Wang developed computer simul ations and algorithms to filter out electrical "noise," which is esse ntial for capturing clean brain signals during stimulation.

Fin ally, the researchers validated a new, automated system for visual fi eld mapping in both monkeys and blind human volunteers. This multidis ciplinary approach enabled them to accurately map both the technical operation and the long-term biological consequences of the brain impl ants.

More information on the thesis

DESCRIPTION: Cortical neural prosthesis for restoration of vision Neuroscientist Feng Wang demonstrates that we can help blind peop le by "drawing" images in their brains.Millions of people ar e blind due to damage between the eye and the brain. Glasses offer no solution for them. The scientific problem is how we can "inject" vis ual information directly into the brain.Wang's research question was whether we can generate recognizable patterns with a thousand electro des, and whether this works for years. He proved that complex "pixel vision" is possible, but also discovered a "biological wall": scar ti ssue around hard sensors reduces the quality. This insight is crucial for the development of future, flexible materials that last a lifeti me.In his research, Wang demonstrates that we can help blind people b y "drawing" images directly into their brains. Wang placed a thousand tiny needles (electrodes) in the brains of monkeys. By stimulating t hese with small currents, they saw dots of light, just like pixels on a screen. This allowed them to recognize letters and shapes without using their eyes.Flexible materials
His main conc lusion is that this works fantastically for recognizing images, but t hat the body protests after a few years. Scar tissue forms around the needles, causing the signal to fade. Wang and his colleagues have th us proven that the technology works, but that in the future we need s ofter, flexible materials that don't irritate the brain.The findings show that a functional "brain implant for vision" is technically feas ible. For the millions of people who are currently completely blind, this means a future in which they can once again navigate independent ly or read texts without being dependent on others.Although the resea rchers have proven that we can "draw" complex images in the brain, th e concrete application for the general patient is not expected for an other 10 to 20 years. The current "biological wall" first requires ne w, flexible materials. A concrete example is a blind person who, than ks to the implant, can once again recognize traffic signs or see a gr andchild's smile as a pattern of dots of light. This aligns with the current revolution in brain-computer interactions, as seen at compani es like Neuralink.Computer simulations
For this r esearch, Wang combined advanced laboratory experiments with innovativ e computer simulations and clinical trials.First, the scientists impl anted a record number of 1,000 electrodes into the visual cortex of t est subjects to investigate whether they could convert artificial poi nts of light into recognizable images, such as letters. Parallel to t his, Wang developed computer simulations and algorithms to filter out electrical "noise," which is essential for capturing clean brain sig nals during stimulation.Finally, the researchers validated a new, aut omated system for visual field mapping in both monkeys and blind huma n volunteers. This multidisciplinary approach enabled them to accurat ely map both the technical operation and the long-term biological con sequences of the brain implants.More information on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR