HUMAN SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE

The Brain Modulation Lab was founded at the University of Pittsburgh in 2011 and moved to the MGH in 2019. We are a human systems neuroscience lab studying brain electrophysiology and behavior in patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy, movement disorders, and psychiatric disease. The goal of our work is to facilitate the development and optimization of electrical and biological brain modulation therapies, by filling critical gaps in our understanding of human brain function.  

PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR
Mark Richardson, MD, PhD, FAANS

Director of Functional Neurosurgery, MGH

Charles Pappas Associate Professor of Neurosciences, Harvard Medical School

Visiting Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT

​

FACULTY SCIENTISTS
Vasileios Kokkinos, PhD

Instructor in Neurosurgery, MGH

Harvard Medical School

​

Alan Bush, PhD

Instructor in Neurosurgery, MGH

Harvard Medical School

​

CONTRIBUTING SCIENTISTS

Varun Saravanan, PhD

Data Scientist

MGH-MIT inBRAIN Collaboration 

​

Victoria Peterson, PhD

Harvard Research Fellow

Brain Modulation Lab​

​

Ashley Walton, PhD

Postdoctoral fellow

Cognitive Science Program, Dartmouth

​

Nathan Sisterson, MD

Neurosurgery Resident, MGH

Sonika Agarwal, BS

Research Coordinator

Nora Daly, MSHS, PA-C

Physician Assistant

MGH Functional Neurosurgery

RESEARCH THEMES

Basal Ganglia-Cortical Dynamics in Human Behavior 

​

Intraoperatively, we collect simultaneously recorded cortical ECoG, subcortical MER/LFP, and behavioral data to study interactions between the cortex and basal ganglia that encode specific components of motor control.

STN and STN-Cortical Coding of Speech Production

BRAIN Initiative

​

Cortical-Basal Ganglia Speech Networks

BRAIN Initiative

Deep Neural Network Approaches for Closed-loop DBS

CRNCS in collaboration with ICNeuromodulation Neumann Group - Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

​

Closed-Loop Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy

​

The lab's initial work in brain stimulation for epilepsy involved sensing-enabled DBS (PC+S and RC+S) in a nonhuman primate with idiopathic epilepsy. Subsequently, in order to better understand data recorded during responsive neurostimulation in our epilepsy patients, we built BRAINStim, a platform for Biophysically Rational Analysis and Informed Stimulation.

​

Clinical Innovation in Functional Neurosurgery​

The lab's resources, including surgical databases, are leveraged to innovate and advance neurosurgical strategies and technical approaches to better treat epilepsy, movement disorders, and other brain diseases.

ABOUT OUR LOGO

brain on holiday was created by the Italian illustrator Alberto Ruggieri, who generously granted permission for its use by the Brain Modulation Lab.

For other examples of Mr. Ruggieri's work, visit: albertoruggieri.net

Thier Building, 4th floor

Massachusetts General Hospital

50 Blossom St.
Boston, MA 02114