Have you ever imagined integrating neuroscience and engineering methods to learn more about how the nervous system works and develop solutions for the limitations and dysfunctions associated with it? This is the daily routine of Neuroengineering students, a scientific field that combines aspects of Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering and Computing. Rio Grande do Norte has the first and only postgraduate course in the area recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEC), based at the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), in Macaíba. With the aim of disseminating the research area to students who are still in their undergraduate studies, the ISD promotes, in partnership with the School of Science and Technology (ECT) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), lectures to present the research area to interested students and researchers. The event will take place on April 6, in Auditorium C of the ECT, and will include the issuance of a certificate of complementary hours for participants. 

The event will take place in two time slots: Morning 5-6 (from 10:50 am to 12:30 pm) or Afternoon 5-6 (from 4:50 pm to 6:30 pm), and will be attended by the professor-researcher and Coordinator of the Master's in Neuroengineering at ISD, Abner Rodrigues Neto, who develops studies in the area of Computer Science with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Signal Processing and Time Series Analysis applied to Neuroengineering; and the professor-researcher André Dantas who studies, mainly, Signal Processing, PID, Predictive, Fuzzy, Adaptive and Intelligent Control Systems also applied to Neuroengineering. In addition, Master's students from various engineering programs at the School of Science and Technology will also participate and talk about their research and experience in the area. 

“The field of Neuroengineering is still largely unknown to the general public, even to people who are already involved in other engineering disciplines. Few people know that very close to them, in Macaíba, there is a nationally renowned center in the field of Neuroengineering. So, I believe that, right away, a relevant aspect of the event is to introduce this area to students and researchers to spark their interest in developing studies in this field,” says the Coordinator of the Master’s in Neuroengineering at ISD, Abner Rodrigues Neto. 

Interdisciplinarity

ECT Director Douglas Nascimento emphasizes that interdisciplinarity and the possibility of moving through different fields are also premises of the Bachelor's Degree in Science and Technology. "When students experience the many realities of training, they have a holistic and interconnected vision of how they should solve problems in their professional future. In this process, students develop their ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, debate and find solutions to problems that do not seem directly related to their training, envision the possibility of changing focus without necessarily changing their training, and understand the language of others, facilitating interaction between different professionals," he states. 

As an example of this, several ECT graduates are now part of the student body of the Master's in Neuroengineering at ISD. There are students graduated in the areas of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Materials Engineering and others, all using the specific knowledge of their area and combining it with neuroscience to develop research and products.

Professor Abner Rodrigues states that one of the interesting aspects related to this field of knowledge is the fact that many things are still new and in the process of discovery, which gives scholars in the area unique opportunities to develop new products, solutions and research. “We are talking about an area that is on the frontier of science. Many products do not yet exist on the market or even within science, so there is a great opportunity to develop new products and studies”, he says. 

Furthermore, with the increase in the population's life expectancy, neurodegenerative diseases and technological solutions to live with limitations of movement and functions related to the brain, for example, should become increasingly frequent on the planet, and the interest in studies in this field also tends to grow.  

“The development of research and products is a decisive role for educational and research institutions, not only because of the product or research itself, but mainly because it contributes significantly to the training of human resources who will continue to disseminate these products and research and the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. They will be more than professionals, they will be multipliers,” says Douglas Nascimento. 

Master's in Neuroengineering

The Master's Degree in Neuroengineering at the Santos Dumont Institute was approved in 2013 by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), in the area of Biomedical Engineering. However, the activities are not limited to graduates in this area: graduates from various areas of Engineering, Exact Sciences, Health Sciences, Biological Sciences and Technology may apply for the Program. The interdisciplinarity between these fields is one of the pillars of the Master's Degree in Neuroengineering at the ISD.

The Master's activities take place at the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS) and at the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita), ISD units located in Macaíba (RN). At ISD, students develop translational research, from laboratory benches that conduct basic research with animal models to the development of clinical solutions that reach users of the Unified Health System (SUS). 

In addition to Master's students, ISD also has Scientific Initiation (IC) volunteers, who are in their undergraduate studies.

To learn more about the Institute, visit www.isd.org.br. 

Event

Students, graduates and researchers interested in learning more about the field of Neuroengineering can register for the event. Registration can be done in advance using the form (https://forms.gle/TPgShx8hrtxYpg3L6). The event will include the issuance of additional hours certificates for participants. It will also be possible to register on site before the lectures.

Service

What: Lecture: Understanding Neuroengineering

When: 04/06/2022

Time: M56 (10:50 am to 12:30 pm) or T56 (4:50 pm to 6:30 pm)

Where: Auditorium C of the School of Science and Technology (ECT) of UFRN. 

Registrations: https://forms.gle/TPgShx8hrtxYpg3L6