Matsuoka Organizing Neurobotics Center

Pioneering researcher Yoki Matsuoka, PhD, is looking to expand
the studies that led to her “Genius Grant” into a full-fledged
industry in the Pacific Northwest. According to the Seattle
Times, the MacArthur-Award winner hosted 140 thought leaders
in the medical, robotics, and computing fields at a brainstorming
workshop intended to lead to the formation of a research institute
called the Pacific Northwest Center for Neural Engineering. The
center plans to focus on the development of brain-controlled
robotics systems that could benefit people with amputations and
neurological conditions. The workshop explored educational and
funding mechanisms and which strengths the region has over other
possible locations.