During her PhD, Harsha used new microscopy techniques and combined experimental and computational approaches to investigate the structure of inhibitory network activity in the cerebellum and advance our understanding of these circuits in the brain.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Harsha will work with Prof. Bing Brunton at the University of Washington. Pivoting from neuroscience into biomedical engineering, Harsha will work on methods to infer underlying network structure and dynamics from neural recordings, and design “smart” efficient and adaptive control algorithms to guide their activity. This mathematical framework has the ability to improve the learnability and controllability of rehabilitative brain-computer interfaces for use in patients with spinal injury or stroke.
Harsha believes her research will expand the quality and access of these interfaces and help restore mobility, independence, and the ability to communicate for broader classes of patients.