Fast-Tracking Speech Neuroprostheses: Decoding from sEEG with Maxime Verwoert

Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!

Have you ever wondered if it's possible to give speech back to those who've lost it using advanced brain technology? Dear Listeners, welcome to episode #82 of our “Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!” podcast, where we're diving deep into the world of speech neuroprostheses and exploring how brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are unlocking new ways to communicate.

Speech-decoding BCIs are gaining ground rapidly. They promise a new way to communicate for those who cannot speak by tapping directly into brain activity. The secret to making these devices work is understanding how speech is produced in the brain, from the timing to the specific brain regions involved. Interestingly, it looks like even deeper brain areas, including the insula, hippocampus, and thalamus are involved in this process.

I am your podcast host Dr. Milena Korostenskaja or simply Dr. K. and joining us today is Maxime Verwoert, a researcher with the long-term goal of developing speech neuroprostheses. After her studies in Psychology and Neuroscience at Utrecht University, Maxime is now a PhD candidate at Maastricht University in Netherlands focusing on decoding speech signals in real-time with stereo-EEG. This technology is less invasive than other methods, such as ECoG, offering hope for long-term use in BCIs.

Maxime's recent work, published in Nature's Scientific Data, involved collecting a rich dataset from participants reading aloud while their brain activity was meticulously recorded. This dataset covers a broad spectrum of brain regions and offers deep insights into how we produce speech.

In our chat, Maxime explains how this cutting-edge technology is developed, the hurdles of interpreting complex brain signals into speech, and what the future holds for people needing speech neuroprostheses. Maxime will also share her advice for those who are planning to get into the field of neurotechnologies. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a healthcare professional, or just curious about how neuroscience changes lives, this conversation promises to bring unique knowledge and inspiration. So tune in, and get ready to be amazed by how close we are to turning thoughts into words!

About the Podcast Guest:

Get in touch with Maxime Verwoert via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxime-verwoert-756966105/

Lab:

https://neuralinterfacinglab.github.io/

Dataset:

https://osf.io/nrgx6/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01542-9

Articles:

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00123 (sEEG for BCIs) https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10394550 (sEEG semantics) https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02578-0 (sEEG speech BCI proof-of-concept)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-022-01190-2 (speech BCI review)

Courses:

https://www.codecademy.com/

https://www.codecademy.com/

https://www.coursera.org/

https://scikit-learn.org/stable/

https://neuromatch.io/

Mental Health:

“Feeling Great” Book (https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/E0B7C5D5-CD14-405B-BD0A-253F8D94A3B4?channel=db-website)

“Feeling Good” Podcast (https://feelinggood.com/subscribe/)

About the Podcast Host:

The Neurocareers podcast is brought to you by The Institute of Neuroapproaches (https://www.neuroapproaches.org/) and its founder, Milena Korostenskaja, Ph.D. (Dr. K), a neuroscience educator, research consultant, and career coach for people in neuroscience and neurotechnologies. As a professional coach with a background in the field, Dr. K understands the unique challenges and opportunities job applicants face in this field and can provide personalized coaching and support to help you succeed.

Here's what you'll get with one-on-one coaching sessions from Dr. K:

• Identification and pursuit of career goals
• Guidance on job search strategies, resume, and cover letter development
• Neurotech / neuroscience job interview preparation and practice
• Networking strategies to connect with professionals in the field of neuroscience and neurotechnologies
• Ongoing support and guidance to help you stay on track and achieve your goals

You can always schedule a free neurocareer consultation/coaching session with Dr. K at https://neuroapproaches.as.me/free-neurocareer-consultation

Subscribe to our Nerocareers Newsletter to stay on top of all our cool neurocareers news at updates https://www.neuroapproaches.org/neurocareers-news