2024 Neuroelectronic Interfaces Gordon Research Conferences and Gordon Research Seminar - Abstract We are requesting support for the 2024 GRC on Neuroelectronic Interfaces: Advances and Challenges in Neurotech Development and Translation, and the associated GRS, which will be held March 9th – March 15th, 2024, at the Grand Galvez, 2024 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, TX. Following the successful 2022 Neuroelectronic Interfaces Gordon Research Conference, this proposed conference will continue to bring together world-class clinicians, scientists, and engineers with a multi-disciplinary skillset (e.g., cellular and system neuroscience, neuropathology, neurotechnology, materials science, and engineering), to share advances, describe challenges, and discuss possible solutions that could support the successful translation of chronically useful and reliable neural interfaces. The expectation for Gordon Research Conferences is that vigorous formal and informal discussions will be maximized between prominent investigators and junior attendees of the conferences, with particular emphasis being placed on underrepresented groups, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. This conference is designed to bridge the scientific field by attracting established researchers, who provide a strong foundational support for past research, and both outside investigators and junior members of the field, who often inject new ideas. We intend to prioritize the use of NIH funds to support the participation of underrepresented participants as well as those experiencing hardship within their research efforts. Specifically, we will use these funds to cover a portion of the costs of their participation (e.g., registration, travel, childcare). Thus, we will promote the development of and continued involvement of qualified researchers from underrepresented groups in neural-engineering research. Additionally, the 2024 conference program has an impressive range of topics, and the speakers are both diverse and of high quality. We are building a program that we are confident will lead to a lively and inspiring conference that is at the cutting edge of science and engineering. The program covers important topics related to the development and translation of Neuroelectronic Interface technologies, ranging from neurotechnology in society, advances in neuroscience research, interface hardware (from electrodes through packaging), CNS and PNS targets, non-electrical interfaces, and even non-invasive interfaces. This GRC will provide a forum for the findings of established scientists engaged in other biomedical areas to enable identification of new concepts for, and potential collaboration in, neural interfaces research. We expect this event to continue being a “go to meeting” for the neural interfacing community and maintaining the tradition and prestige of the Gordon Research Conferences.
