Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering Alan Chiu, PhD, has been reappointed as the Samuel F. Hulbert Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering. The reappointment will allow Chiu to continue his research at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ on the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that can improve prosthetic control applications to help patients with severe motor impairments caused by neurological diseases or disabilities. His new three-year term begins September 1. 

“ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s faculty routinely apply their talent and hard work to creating exceptional learning experiences in our scholarly community,” according to Associate Dean of Professional Development and Professor of English Richard House, PhD. “Through endowments like this one, our benefactors enable those efforts. These positions are awarded to outstanding professors, but they truly benefit the whole institution, especially our students.” 

Chiu will support undergraduate research by guiding students in their professional development process. He does this by involving students in all aspects of research — ranging from primary literature review, proposal writing, protocol development, IRB approval process, human subject interactions, peer mentorship, and dissemination of results. Building upon his previous research on the effects of cognitive load and selective attention in BCI applications, Chiu aims to improve the interaction between individuals with severe motor impairments and their environment. He will work with at least 12 undergraduate students to mitigate the current limitations in brain-computer interface (BCI) prosthetic control and robot-assisted physical therapy by incorporating augmented reality (AR) in conjunction with traditional steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) applications. 

“While many studies have focused on comparing the performance of various PC-based BCIs, little work has been done to study the effects of stimulus parameters on BCI performance when stimuli are presented in an AR environment,” said Chiu. “Right now, portability is a major hurdle for BCI technology. This research will fill this gap by optimizing how SSVEP stimulus parameters (such as the number, location, frequency, and duration of the stimulus) can be projected onto the real world using AR glasses to enhance the accuracy and usability, and let the users interact with their environments in a more natural way.” 

Chiu has been a member of the Biology and Biomedical Engineering faculty since 2012. He teaches courses on brain-machine interfaces, neuroprosthetics, biomedical instrumentation and measurements, biomedical signal processing, and problem-solving in biological sciences and engineering. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Toronto. Currently, Chiu is also serving as a member of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Chiu’s scholarly work honors the legacy of Hulbert, who served as ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s president from 1976 to 2004. Hulbert was a recognized authority and pioneer in the use of ceramics in the design of orthopedic and dental implants and prostheses.