Principal Investigator

Lee M. Miller Professor – Dept. of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior Professor – Dept. of Otolaryngology | Head and Neck Surgery Technical Director: Center for Mind & Brain Founding Scientific Director: Center for Neuroprosthetics UC Davisleemiller@ucdavis.eduLee 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.
	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.
	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.
	Ryan Corp Ryan is an MS student in the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group at UC Davis. His background includes a prior career in business, entrepreneurship, and consulting, and he is now focused on medical devices and neurotechnology. His research interests include accessible human-device interaction, neural signal processing, and translational device development. Outside the lab, Ryan spends time reading and playing with his two cats, Mr. Whiskers and Lucky.
	Evan Liang Evan is a Master’s student in Computer Science. He is interested in machine learning and algorithms. His research focuses on developing neural networks to denoise signals from cochlear implants. In his free time, he enjoys practicing kung fu, programming, playing board games, and cooking.
	Aryan Hamine Aryan Hamine is a first-year CS master’s student at UC Davis working on the real-time pipeline for a gaze-steered AR audio system, combining a multichannel mic array, gaze-driven steering, and on-device speech recognition. Before UC Davis he spent 2.5 years as a backend engineer building production healthcare-tech SaaS. His interests center on systems, backend infrastructure, and observability for AI systems.

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.
	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.
	Zaynab Mohiuddeen Zaynab Mohiuddeen is a sophomore double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. As lab manager and a research assistant, she is currently working on a Meta-funded project comparing gamified and explicit training methods for sEMG wristband control. Her research interests include brain-computer interfaces and EEG-based signal processing, and she hopes to eventually apply these skills to medical device design. Outside the lab, she enjoys writing for the campus news desk at The California Aggie. In her free time, she can be found painting and reading (although she’s far more likely to finish a book than a canvas).
	Anthony Yan Anthony Yan is an undergraduate Electrical Engineering student looking to focus on physical and analog electronics. He is also interested in leveraging his knowledge of electronics to work with the hardware design of biomedical devices and imaging. After graduation, he plans on working towards a Master’s degree in a more concentrated area. In his free time, he loves to play sports like badminton and soccer, go to the gym, work on other electrical projects, and look for new hidden gem restaurants.
	Dani Jiang Dani Jiang is an undergraduate studying cognitive science (computational track), neuroscience, computer science, and psychology. She is broadly interested in uncovering the mechanisms underlying cognition by grounding computational and mathematical approaches in their biological substrates. She is currently pursuing an independent research project in the Miller Lab and works as a research assistant in the Dynamic Memory Lab at the Center for Neuroscience. Outside the lab, Dani loves cats and enjoys walking and reading in her free time.

Collaborators

	Kelsey Mankel Asst. Professor Univ. of Memphis, Institute for Intelligent Systems & School for Communication Sciences & Disorders
	Sergey Stavisky Assoc. Professor of Neurological Surgery- UC Davis
	Dr. David Brandman Assoc. 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 Assoc. 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 Assoc. 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

Aditi Agrawal	Celine John Philip	Lilia Arami
Tanya Matyushkina	Neha Kaul	Peyton Hilford
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