Researchers from the University of Glasgow will lead a £4M project to develop AI-powered neurobots as a novel epilepsy treatment.
The project, called NEUROBOT, is one of 18 which will share in £69m over four years in new funding announced today from ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies programme.
ARIA, an R&D funding agency created to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone, was created by an Act of Parliament and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. ARIA funds teams of scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of what is scientifically and technologically possible.
Over the next four years, the NEUROBOT team will work to develop advanced, injectable neural robots, or ‘neurobots’, to deliver a treatment called closed-loop neuromodulation as an epilepsy treatment.
Closed-loop neuromodulation works by closely monitoring brain activity and providing electrical stimulation when required to help treat epileptic seizures as they occur, or prevent them from happening at all.
The neurobots, which will be made from advanced nanomaterials, will provide precisely-targeted neural stimulation, as well as deliver drugs to patients through newly-developed bioactive coatings and encapsulants.
This technology addresses the limitations of traditional deep brain recording and stimulation using electrodes implanted in brain tissue, which can disrupt normal brain function and cause side effects.
The team’s broader vision is to revolutionise neuromodulation therapies by using innovative materials and AI-driven control to create individualised, minimally-invasive adaptive treatments that enhance therapeutic outcomes, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients with neurological disorders.
Professor Hadi Heidari, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, will lead the project, with support from partners at the Universities of Exeter, Manchester and Newcastle in the UK and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Italy. NEUROBITE Technologies, a startup spun out from the University of Glasgow by PhD student Maria Cerezo-Sanchez, is also lending support to the project.
Professor Heidari is also a key partner in the European EIC Pathfinder CROSSBRAIN project, which uses advanced implantable methods to treat brain disorders.
Professor Heidari said:
“We’re pleased and proud to have received this funding from ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies programme. It will enable us to build on previous breakthrough research collaborations between the partners on the potential for neurobots to treat epilepsy more effectively and less invasively. The project will benefit from access to the University of Glasgow’s world-leading James Watt Nanofabrication Centre to develop our prototype neurobots.
“Our team comprises experts from a diverse range of fields, including nanotechnology, neurobiology, and biomedical engineering, with backgrounds in developing advanced microelectronics, neuromodulation techniques, and biocompatible materials. Each partner brings unique expertise, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the NEUROBOT project and enhancing our capacity for successful research and development in precision neuromodulation therapies.”
In the UK, one in six people – 16.5 million individuals – has at least one neurological condition, with a cost to the NHS of £4.4 billion per year. These disorders go far beyond motor and speech impairments; they include Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, addiction, and depression. Many of these are neural circuit-level disorders, or problems with the ‘wiring’ of the brain, but current technologies lack the requisite precision and most are highly invasive.
The increasing prevalence of brain disorders underscores the need for greater investment into more precise, direct, and elegant approaches to interfacing with neural circuits.
Led by Programme Director Jacques Carolan, ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies programme will unite the frontiers of engineered biology and hardware to treat many of the most complex and devastating brain disorders affecting individuals and communities worldwide.
The researchers will explore and unlock new methods to interface with the human brain at the circuit level, in order to understand, identify, and treat neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders with unprecedented precision.
ARIA’s funding will ultimately enable the newly-funded teams to develop and test technologies with greater speed and efficiency. If successful, this programme will unlock the full potential of neurotechnology and move closer to a world in which personalised brain health care is available to everyone.