{"682766":{"#nid":"682766","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unveiling the Human Stories Behind Brain Implants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElecting to have invasive brain surgery isn\u2019t something most people have done. Ian Burkhart isn\u2019t most people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I finished rehabilitation, my doctors and therapist and, most importantly, the insurance company said, \u2018For someone with your condition, we feel like you\u0027ve made all the improvement that you will, have a nice life,\u2019\u201d said Burkhart, who was left with limited feeling and mobility below the neck after a 2010 diving accident injured his spinal cord. \u201cThat didn\u0027t sit well with me.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHoping even a fraction of hand mobility would increase his independence, Burkhart turned to a clinical research trial on a brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to detect movement signals in the brain and send them to a computer to stimulate the arm muscles, bypassing the spinal cord in the hopes of restoring movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI had had four and a half years of never thinking my hand was going to move again,\u201d he recalled. When testing to see if he qualified for the study, researchers stimulated his hand muscles. \u201cI saw my hand move, and that was all I needed to know \u2014 I was ready to risk it all for something that may or may not work.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBurkhart\u2019s story is one of many that reveal the deeply personal side of neurotechnology research. Centering lived experiences like his is central to the mission of the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS), a new Interdisciplinary Research Institute launching this July at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we want to build neurotechnology that truly serves people, their voices should be part of the scientific process from the very beginning,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3728\u0022\u003EChris Rozell\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and one of the many researchers at Georgia Tech working to understand and advance BCIs. \u201cHearing from individuals who live with these devices helps guide more ethical, inclusive, and effective research. The entire field benefits from inclusive conversations like these.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife With a Brain Implant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBurkhart and three others recently shared their stories live on the Ferst Center stage at \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/wired-lives-personal-stories-brain-implants\u0022\u003EWired Lives: Personal Stories of Brain-Computer Interfaces\u003C\/a\u003E, an event organized by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E. Their stories gave over 200 attendees a rare, honest glimpse into the realities of neurological conditions and the path to brain-computer interface research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was at a crossroads in my life at 47 years old,\u201d said Brandan Mehaffie, who told his story of living with early-onset Parkinson\u2019s disease. \u201cI was trying to figure out, do I continue with the status quo and watch my career dwindle into nothing? Watch my life with my family, my kids, not being able to go on hikes or family vacations?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMehaffie eventually qualified for deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment, a procedure where a pacemaker-like device is implanted into the brain to provide electrical stimulation. \u201cIt changed my life for the better in ways that I can\u0027t even tell you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen former U.S. Air Force Sgt. Jennifer Walden\u2019s doctor told her about a clinical trial testing DBS as an epilepsy treatment, she jumped at the chance. \u201cThe 48 hours after those seizures are 48 hours where you don\u0027t want to live anymore.\u201d Walden explained that her response to medication had dwindled after years of traditional treatment, increasing the frequency and severity of her seizures. \u201cI feared suicide. It\u0027s something I didn\u0027t want to do, but if something happened in those 48 hours to end my life, I didn\u0027t care,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am now probably 99% seizure-free,\u201d she beamed as she recalled her response to DBS on stage. \u201cI don\u0027t know how I got so lucky in life, but I don\u0027t take it for granted.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommon themes in their stories were resilience, hope, and a deep desire to give back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I joined the study, it had no physical benefit to me, but that\u0027s not why I joined it,\u201d said Scott Imbrie, who experienced a major spinal cord injury and participates in a clinical BCI study at the University of Chicago. \u201cI decided to have invasive brain surgery and have electrodes implanted on my brain to help other people.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Approach to Interdisciplinary Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETimed alongside the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/interfaceneuro-highlights-atlantas-growing-role-neurotech-revolution\u0022\u003EInterfaceNeuro conference at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, the gathering offered a rare opportunity for scientists, engineers, and clinicians to engage directly with the lived experiences of individuals using brain-computer interfaces \u2014 a perspective often missing from traditional research settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt makes you think about how we ethically conduct research and how we recruit and interface with patients,\u201d said Eric Cole, a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University, who was reminded that many patients participating in BCI research have been on a long, difficult journey before interacting with researchers. \u201cWe should remember to take their experiences seriously and respect them. They\u0027re giving up something for research \u2014 that part we should always remember.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWired Lives\u201d was one in a series of events highlighting the lived experience of individuals with neurological conditions organized by the Neuro Next Initiative, which has served as the precursor to INNS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA core mission of INNS is to consider how neuroscience and neurotechnology impact people\u2019s lives,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/11576\u0022\u003EJennifer Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of History and Sociology\u003C\/a\u003E, a member of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/about-us\/leadership\u0022\u003ENNI\u2019s executive committee\u003C\/a\u003E, and a co-organizer of the event. \u201cTheir stories matter when it comes to the types of science and technology we pursue and how they benefit the human condition. Many scientists and engineers may never encounter people living with neurological conditions outside of events like this. That will be a priority for INNS \u2014 to bring the expertise of lived experiences to the research process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIan Burkhart\u2019s lived experience reminded the audience that not every clinical trial has a happy ending. His BCI was ultimately removed after seven years as research funding ran short, taking his newly improved hand mobility with it. Despite this, Burkhart remained positive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m so glad I was able to take that risk and have that voluntary brain surgery and participate in this type of research because it\u0027s defined my life.\u201d Burkhart went on to found the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bcipioneers.org\/\u0022\u003EBCI Pioneers Coalition\u003C\/a\u003E and his own \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ianburkhartfoundation.org\/\u0022\u003Enonprofit\u003C\/a\u003E because of his research participation. \u201cIt gave me a lot of hope for the future, and a lot of hope that these types of devices are going to be able to help people and improve their quality of life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis event was produced in partnership with\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.storycollider.org\/atlanta\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Story Collider\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E and made possible through support from\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blackrockneurotech.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlackrock Neurotech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.medtronic.com\/en-us\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedtronic\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour people who have experienced brain implants shared their personal journeys, offering rare insight into the human side of neurotechnology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four people who have experienced brain implants shared their personal journeys, offering rare insight into the human side of neurotechnology."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2025-06-11 16:31:48","changed_gmt":"2025-06-11 16:41:18","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677215":{"id":"677215","type":"image","title":"Wired-Lives_050725-41_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom clinical trial participant to BCI advocate, Ian Burkhart shares his story at \u201cWired Lives,\u201d organized by Georgia Tech\u2019s Neuro Next Initiative. Photo: Chris McKenney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749658538","gmt_created":"2025-06-11 16:15:38","changed":"1749660241","gmt_changed":"2025-06-11 16:44:01","alt":"From clinical trial participant to BCI advocate, Ian Burkhart shares his story at \u201cWired Lives,\u201d organized by Georgia Tech\u2019s Neuro Next Initiative. Photo: Chris McKenney","file":{"fid":"261095","name":"Wired-Lives_050725-41_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-41_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-41_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1260961,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-41_0.jpg?itok=VROpiXK7"}},"677216":{"id":"677216","type":"image","title":"Wired-Lives_050725-20_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrandan Mehaffie shares how deep brain stimulation transformed his life after an early-onset Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis. Photo: Chris McKenney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749658790","gmt_created":"2025-06-11 16:19:50","changed":"1749660272","gmt_changed":"2025-06-11 16:44:32","alt":"Brandan Mehaffie shares how deep brain stimulation transformed his life after an early-onset Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis. Photo: Chris McKenney","file":{"fid":"261096","name":"Wired-Lives_050725-20_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-20_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-20_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1338785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-20_0.jpg?itok=I-Q-JR-2"}},"677217":{"id":"677217","type":"image","title":"Wired-Lives_050725-30.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Walden reflects on the emotional and physical challenges of epilepsy \u2014 and the relief that came with a breakthrough treatment. Photo: Chris McKenney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749658956","gmt_created":"2025-06-11 16:22:36","changed":"1749660299","gmt_changed":"2025-06-11 16:44:59","alt":"Jennifer Walden reflects on the emotional and physical challenges of epilepsy \u2014 and the relief that came with a breakthrough treatment. 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Photo: Chris McKenney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749659211","gmt_created":"2025-06-11 16:26:51","changed":"1749660376","gmt_changed":"2025-06-11 16:46:16","alt":"Researchers, students, and community members came together to explore the lived experiences behind cutting-edge neurotechnology. Photo: Chris McKenney","file":{"fid":"261100","name":"Wired-Lives_050725-34_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-34_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-34_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1842020,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/11\/Wired-Lives_050725-34_0.jpg?itok=OtVK7dM3"}}},"media_ids":["677215","677216","677217","677218","677219","677220"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/interfaceneuro-highlights-atlantas-growing-role-neurotech-revolution","title":"InterfaceNeuro Highlights Atlanta\u2019s Growing Role in the Neurotech Revolution"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-wearable-brain-computer-interface","title":"New Wearable Brain-Computer Interface"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/tragedy-transformation","title":"From Tragedy to Transformation"}],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}