Shanghai center to focus on brain-computer interface tech

Fudan University in Shanghai inaugurated a center on Saturday that will focus on innovative technologies to address challenges in brain health improvement, brain disease treatment and neurological rehabilitation. In recent years, brain-computer interface technology has been widely adopted for clinical treatment, rehabilitation and brain training, benefiting millions of people. "Following over half a century of exploration and significant milestone breakthroughs, 2023 was heralded as the 'initial year' of brain-computer interface technology by the journal Nature Electronics," the director of the center, Wang Shouyan, said. Wang, who is also vice-dean of Fudan's Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, said the university established the center in response to the impending expansion of brain-computer interface research and related industries. Over the past decade, the fields of neuromodulation and brain-computer interface have gradually converged, revealing a scientific development trajectory that includes decoding brain functions related to movement, speech, memory and consciousness; neural function modulation and reconstruction; brain-machine interactive neuromodulation; and brain-inspired intelligence and digital life.