Grant recipient
Blindness affects ~40 million people, and many still lose vision when disease irreversibly damages visual pathways. One promising idea is a brain implant that could restore sight through multi-channel stimulation of the visual cortex. Advances in nanofabrication and brain imaging now enable progress. In this project, I will combine cutting-edge tools: awake mice will wear miniature virtual-reality goggles while a transparent, flexible implant with multiple neuroactivation and neurosuppression channels is placed on visual cortex. I will record brain responses to natural vision and artificial stimulation, then use AI to fine-tune stimulation patterns so artificial signals mimic real visual scenes as closely as possible. I will also evaluate biosafety and reliability by tracking how neuronal and vascular responses change over time with the implant and stimulation. This work will advance visual prosthetics and move us closer to restoring meaningful vision for people who are blind.
Changsi Cai
Neuro-Engineered Vision Restoration through Integrated Cortical Prosthetics (NEW-VISION)
Grant amount: DKK 12.500.000