Robert Gaunt (Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh)

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), individuals consistently rank improved hand and bladder function among their highest rehabilitation priorities. My lab focuses on addressing these critical needs by developing implantable neuroprostheses. First, I will discuss one of the most visible consequences of high-level SCI; the loss of upper-limb function. Our team uses implantable microelectrode arrays in the human motor cortex to enable complex, voluntary control of robotic arms. However, in an intact motor system, somatosensory feedback is essential to regulate movement and enable controlled interactions with the environment. To restore this lost somatosensory feedback, we use intracortical microstimulation in the somatosensory cortex, creating a bidirectional brain-computer interface that restores both motor control and tactile sensations. I will describe the nature of these stimulation-evoked percepts, their stability over time, their impact on task performance, and how new biomimetic stimulation strategies enhance the complexity and naturalness of the perceived sensations as well as replicate properties of real-world objects. Second, I will discuss one of the least visible consequences of spinal cord injury; the loss of voluntary bladder function. Using a combination of spinal cord stimulation, direct bladder stimulation, and computational modeling, we have demonstrated the ability to modulate bladder and urethral function in both anesthetized and awake animals. Furthermore, our modeling work has identified specific anatomical targets that hold promise for future human trials, providing a potential pathway to restore bladder function in individuals with SCI.

Robert Gaunt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Alberta. Dr. Gaunt’s research focuses on developing neuroprostheses to restore sensorimotor function to the hand and bladder after injury and disease. This work encompasses studying sensorimotor control in the central and peripheral nervous systems and investigating how biomimetic design principles can be used to develop neuroprosthetic technologies aimed at restoring sensory, motor, and autonomic functions for people with disease or injuries including spinal cord injury and limb loss. The hand and bladder are scientifically linked by the powerful role that somatosensation has on both reflex function and consciously mediated behaviors, while the functional importance of these two systems is frequently highlighted by people living with spinal cord injury. His current projects include the development of bidirectional brain-computer interfaces to restore movement and sensation in people with upper-limb paralysis, as well as innovative neural interfaces for regulating bladder function. Dr. Gaunt holds several patents and has received recognition from the National Academy of Engineering. His work has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets.