People | SPEECH NEUROENGINEERING and CYBERNETICS LAB

Principal Investigator

Lee M. Miller
Professor – Dept. of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior Professor – Dept. of Otolaryngology | Head and Neck SurgeryTechnical Director: UC Davis Center for Mind & Brain

UC Davis

leemiller@ucdavis.edu

Lee Miller received his doctorate in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley. His academic training includes quantum physics, single-cell neurophysiology, and cognitive neuroscience. He is a Professor at UC Davis in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior and the Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery. He serves as Technical Director of the UC Davis Center for Mind & Brain, where his lab investigates the neural bases of communication. His neuroengineering research uses techniques such as EEG, functional MRI, and machine learning to translate fundamental scientific results into real-world solutions for people with hearing loss, speech disorders, and motor impairments.

Graduate Students

	Brett Bormann Brett is a Neuroscience PhD Candidate who is studying the neural mechanisms behind auditory attention to better understand how people perceive speech in a “cocktail party” environment. In addition, he is a part of a team creating a rapid brain-based diagnostic tool to better identify hearing loss using machine learning trained on clinical, behavioral, & neurological (EEG) data. In parallel to his work in neuroscience, Brett is passionate about teaching at UC Davis and preforming pedagogical research. When not in the lab or the classroom, he enjoys hiking all across Northern California or spending time relaxing at home reading and watching movies with his cats.
	Tanya Matyushkina (member of Prof. David Corina’s lab). Tanya is a graduate student in Psychology, broadly interested in speech perception. Her current project is dedicated to investigation of effects of cross-modal plasticity on speech perception in children with cochlear implants.
	Ada Kanapskytė Ada is a Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group PhD Student interested in the interface between humans and robotic devices, specifically human learning, behavior, and performance. In her free time, Ada can be found biking/running/walking around Davis with her energetic pup, partaking in STEM outreach, or if it’s summer – gardening!
	Harsha Gowda Harshavardhana is a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. He is interested in learning the inherent mathematical structures of biosignals. His current work includes designing algorithms to translate hand gestures into computer controls and to translate facial motions into speech using surface electromyogram signals. He is also developing an AI Listener to analyze acoustic, semantic, and lexical patterns of speech and act as a reinforcement to algorithms that generate speech using signals from the brain’s speech cortex or facial muscles. In pursuit of these problems, he is focusing on multivariate time series analysis on Riemannian manifolds and computational linguistics.
	Aditi Agrawal Aditi is currently pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science at UC Davis, where she is a Research Assistant in the Speech Neuroengineering and Cybernetics Lab. Her research focuses on developing durable and equitable machine learning models for wrist EMG gesture decoding, with a particular interest in model fairness across demographically diverse populations. She has extensive experience in analyzing biomedical signal data and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to advance neurotechnology for real-world health applications. Aditi has contributed to published research on scalable, community-driven food waste management and is passionate about using technology to solve impactful problems. In her free time, she volunteers with social service organizations and enjoys building software for social good.
	Celine John Philip Celine is an MS in Computer Science student at UC Davis. She has earned her undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering with Honors in Cybersecurity. Her academic interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity. Celine’s current research contributes to the decoding of wrist EMG signals for adaptive human-computer interaction, using machine learning models that adapt across users. In the future, she aims to work on developing adaptive, secure, and user-centered AI systems that can advance consumer technology, assistive devices, and human-computer interaction.
	Zacaria Balkhy Zacky is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group. He is interested in the full cycle of high precision bioelectric signal processing, from signal acquisition through to mathematical and statistical characterization. His current work is focused on non-invasive neural source localization using EEG. In his free time he enjoys reading, programming, biking, skateboarding, skiing and hiking.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Daniel Comstock
Daniel earned his PhD in Cognitive and Information Sciences from the University of California – Merced, and his Bachelors in Cognitive Science from the University of Wisconsin – Stout. He is broadly interested in the role of higher cognitive systems in auditory and visual perception, the neural mechanisms of timing, and EEG data processing and analysis methods. His previous work includes investigations into the role of the motor system in auditory and visual rhythm cognition and timing, the role of the motor system in audiovisual speech integration, and the effects of repetitive non-concussive head-impacts on neural processing.

Research Assistants

	Reina Itakura Reina is an undergraduate Computer Science and Mathematics major at UC Davis. She is currently interested in CS theory and combinatorics but also enjoys assembly. In her free time she likes to dance (ballet and bachata), read books, and practice programming on codeforces.
	Chengyi Li Chengyi is an undergraduate student majoring in Linguistics and Computer Science. He is broadly interested in language technologies, brain-computer interfaces, and mathematical modeling. After graduation, he plans on gaining industry experience before attending graduate school to further understand how language is processed in the brain versus in computational models. In his free time he plays jazz trombone, studies foreign languages, and works on personal projects.
	Andy Vo Andy is a fourth year undergraduate majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Psychology with a Biological Emphasis and minoring in Neuroscience. He is interested in brain computer interfaces and how cognitive processes can be used to augment them. In the future, they are planning on pursuing a PhD in biomedical engineering with an neuroengineering emphasis in hopes on developing brain computer interfaces. He loves climbing, playing video games, and napping around campus.
	Lilia Arami Lilia is an undergraduate student majoring in Cognitive Science with a Neuroscience emphasis. Her interests lie in EEG biomarkers and how neural responses to sound reflect cognitive load, attentional states, and dysfunction. After graduation, she plans to earn a PhD in Neuroscience/AI and attend Law school. Outside of the lab, she enjoys weightlifting, jiu-jitsu, photography, and the occasional impulsive side quest — like flying a plane or getting her motorcycle license.
	Arezoo Ghasemzadeh Arezoo is an undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Statistics with an emphasis in Machine Learning, with intended minors in Psychology and Neuroscience. Her research interests center on consciousness and decision making—particularly the neural mechanisms that underlie it—and how insights from these processes can inform and advance machine learning methods. After graduation, she plans to gain practical experience before pursuing graduate study in cognitive science at the intersection with technology. Outside of research, Arezoo enjoys hiking, running, and surfing, as well as painting and curating playlists across different music genres. She also has a strong appreciation for food, often exploring new places to eat and share with friends and family.
	Neejata Shrestha Neejata is an undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and minoring in Public Health Sciences. She is interested in how neural networks process auditory sensory information, how this relates to neurodevelopmental conditions, and how this knowledge can be applied to improve clinical outcomes. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school or graduate school for neuroscience. Neejata enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and dog, and training for triathlons.
	Peyton Hilford Peyton is a fourth-year physics major studying the neural mechanisms of skill retention in pilots through the use of EEG. The goal of this research is to support the creation of new and better training programs for astronauts on long-range missions, such as a mission to Mars. She thinks this project is perfect for her because it combines both neuroscience and the study of human spaceflight. When she’s not engaged with science, she can be found traveling, reading, dog-sitting, and seeking out rare or strange perfumes to collect and smell.

Collaborators

	Kelsey Mankel Asst. Professor Univ. of Memphis, Institute for Intelligent Systems & School for Communication Sciences & Disorders
	Sergey Stavisky Asst. Professor of Neurological Surgery- UC Davis
	Dr. David Brandman Asst. Professor of Neurological Surgery- UC Davis
	Dr. Marit MacArthur Lecturer, University Writing Program and Faculty, Performance Studies Graduate Group – UC Davis
	Dr. Hilary Brodie Professor of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery – UC Davis
	Dr. Doron Sagiv Asst. Professor of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery – UC Davis
	Lauren Petley Asst. Professor of Psychology- Clarkson University
	Gregg Recanzone Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior – UC Davis
	Wilsaan Joiner Professor in Dept. of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and Dept. of Neurology – UC Davis
	Jonathan Schofield Asst. Professor in Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering – UC Davis
	Elana Zion-Golumbic Professor, Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University
	Sanjay Joshi Professor of Engineering – Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering – UC Davis
	David Corina Prof. of Linguistics – Center for Mind & Brain, UC Davis
	Kristina Backer Assistant Professor – UC Merced
	Antoine (Tony) Shahin Research Professor and Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience – UC Merced
	Steve Robinson Professor, Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Director, Center for Spaceflight Research – UC Davis
	Hyoyoung Jeong Asst. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC Davis

Alumni


Neha Kaul

Nina Wade	Sophie Burnstein	Safa Amer

Ferdous Rahimi	Sana Shehabi	Audrey Vargas

Tyler Statema	Cathleen Chan	Jillian McKie

Zach McNaughton	Naresh Kaushal	Karim Abou Najm

Tiana Smith	Sarah Yuniar	Suvi Varshney

Alicia Dye	Ashley Bilbrey	Aman Ganapathy

Jessica Cai	Kelsey Mankel	Elyse Ehlert

Jan Truong	Ian Chuang	Nandhini Sridhar

Akshita Sharma	Ralph Shehayed	Britt Yazel

Yinuo Qin	Luis El Srouji	Sonja Swanson

Matthew Stickle	Niranjana Jayakrishnan	Aashir Farooqi

Markham Anderson	Deepak Yadav	Fernando Espinosa-Iniguez

Nathaniel Guteirrez	Sam London	Bartlett Moore

Kristina Backer	Tom Campbell	Kevin Hill

Andrew Kessler	Jess Kerlin	Christopher Bishop