Dr. Ghodssi Invited to Speak at NIMH Workshop on Sensor Technologies

Professor Reza Ghodssi (ECE/ISR) was an invited speaker at the May 2 National Institute of Mental Health Workshop on Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization on May 2. The event theme was “Sensor Technologies to Capture the Complexity of Behavior.” The workshop was held on the National Institutes of Health main campus in Bethesda, Md., where more than 100 attendees were in the audience, in addition to 1,100 people watching online.

Professor Ghodssi spoke on “Serotonin Sensing Technologies to Promote Understanding of the Gut-Brain Axis and the Physiological Role of Serotonin in Behavior.” He outlined his lab’s (MEMS Sensors and Actuators Laboratory) work in developing systems for in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo electrochemical sensing of the neurotransmitter serotonin. As part of the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional biochemical signaling pathway between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, serotonin plays an important physiological role in our behavior, cognition, and pathophysiology. The specific mechanics of how this system works are not well understood. More details can be found on UMD ISR News (2 - May / 2023)