Maryam Shanechi designs machines to read minds
Her work could one day help patients with paralysis and psychiatric disorders
Mind reading may sound like a sci-fi dream, but it’s Maryam Shanechi’s day job.
This neural engineer doesn’t need mind melds or magic spells to tap into brain activity. Rather, Shanechi, 38, develops computer algorithms that translate electrical blips emitted by brain cells into machine commands. Shanechi has designed and tested systems that harness neural firings to control computer cursors or administer just the right amount of anesthetic.
Now, Shanechi is forging into a new frontier — mind control. She’s on a mission to create brain-machine interfaces that not only eavesdrop on cells, but also stimulate them to alter mood. This mental manipulation may one day offer a better treatment to millions of patients with psychiatric disorders, like anxiety or depression, who don’t respond to existing therapies.