The course on “Neural prostheses” is composed of two modules: “Neural interfaces and bioelectronic medicine” and “Neural tissue engineering”.

During the course on “Neural interfaces and bioelectronic medicine” the students will acquire the basic principles underlying the design and development of implantable neural interfaces for different parts of the nervous system They will also develop a broad view on i) existing neuroprosthetic systems to restore motor functions, ii) neural stimulation therapies for motor disorders, and iii) novel solutions based on the stimulation of the autonomic nervous system, and will be able to identify current limitations and challenges for future applications. Finally, the students will learn the conceptual and practical bases for the development of a novel neuroprosthesis (group project).

The course “Neural tissue engineering” will introduce the students to the methods, protocols and engineering tools for mimicking both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) at the microscale. Specifically, after a brief introduction on the physiopathology of human nervous system and its buiding blocks (i.e. neurons and glia cells), the course will focus on biomaterials and biofabrication techniques, traditional and advanced in vitro systems as well as computational methods for modeling, monitoring and characterizing neural structure and function.