Episode 1: Q&A with Dr. Eric Perreault, Chair, Biomedical Engineering Dept, Northwestern University

IEEE Brain

Welcome to the IEEE Brain Podcast Series, an IEEE Future Directions Digital Studio Production. Our first guest is Dr. Eric Perreault, Chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Northwestern University and Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Perreault works tirelessly to understand the muscle mechanics of the upper extremities, particularly the arm, following neural motor injuries due to a stroke or spinal cord injury. How does he do it? Through research and experimentation around how the brain controls movement, collaboration with other researchers and scientists working in neuro-mechanics, using robots attached to unimpaired subjects, and much more. His work doesn’t come without a few challenges, but Dr. Perreault is pursuing his research with the end goal of helping the very people he’s working to save.