Email：[email protected]

Dr. Lai received her Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Control Engineering fromNational Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, in 2011. After graduation, she took a transitional Postdoctoral Research Fellow position at Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Chiao Tung University, where she further developed novel nanostructured layer composite materials for improving electrode surface. She then moved to USA to receive additional training as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Department of Neurology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center at University of North Carolina, where she served as the head of Deep Brain Stimulation Imaging Research group and Manager of 9.4T MRI Laboratory. In 2013-2015, she was a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, leading electrophysiological and MRI studies in nonhuman primate and rodent at Somatosensory Neurophysiology Laboratory. In 2015, she enrolled Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology at Zhejiang University (ZIINT) as a PI.

Research Interests:

Dr. Lai’s research interest is in neuroengineering and translational system neuroscience, with Bio-Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (BioMEMS) sensor, Ultra-high Field MRI, Electrophysiology, Neural Coding, Optical Genetic, Optical Microscopy, and Neuromodulation as major research tools. Her goal is to utilize cutting-edge neuroengineering approaches to investigate neuroscience and neurological diseases.

Current Research and Future Directions:

1.    Development of multi-functional neuroprobe-microchips

2.    Neural coding for cutaneous senses and the integration of somatosensory and visual systems

3.    Deep brain stimulation therapy for Parkinson’s disease: dissecting neural circuits to the development of effective treatment (electrical and/or optogenetic stimulation)

Awards:

2014 Magna Cum Laude Merit Award in Functional MRI reveals the reliable brain modulation effect induced by focused ultrasound

2013Young Investigator Travel Award in Deep brain stimulation at the subthalamic nucleus and the internal globus pallidus produces fMRI response in the motor cortex

2013Leading Abstract Award in A functional magnetic resonance imaging approach towards understanding the circuit-level effects of deep brain stimulation

2013 Magna Cum Laude Merit Award in Deep brain stimulation at the subthalamic nucleus produces fMRI response in the motor cortex

2013 Summa Cum Laude Merit Award in Deep brain stimulation at the internal globus pallidus produces fMRI response in the motor cortex

2013 Magna Cum Laude Merit Award in A modified photothrombotic stroke model using implantable optic fiber: in-bore stroke induction for probing peri-infarct spreading depolarization

2011 The Third-Class of The Competition of Application System Design of Microcomputer

Selected Publications:

1.    Lai HY, Younce JR, Albaugh DL, Kao YC and Shih YY* (2014) Functional MRI reveals frequency-dependent responses during deep brain stimulation at the subthalamic nucleus or internal globus pallidus. Neuroimage, 84:11-18. (IF: 6.132)

2.    Lai HY, Albaugh DL, Kao YC, Younce JR and Shih YY* (2014) Robust deep brain stimulation functional MRI procedures in rats and mice using an MR-compatible tungsten microwire electrode. Magn Reson Med. (IF: 3.398) (online)

3.    Lai HY, Liao LD, Lin CT, Shih YY, Chen YY*, Tsang S and Chang JY (2012) Design, simulation and experimental validations of a novel flexible neural probe for deep brain stimulation and multichannel recording. J Neural Eng, 9:036001. (IF: 3.415)

4.    Shu TY+, Lai HY+, Chang YC, Kuo YH, Chiou SM, Lu MK, Lin YC, Liu YL, Chen CC, Huang CH, Chien TF, Lin SZ, Chen YY* and Tsai CH* (2012) The role of the sub-thalamic nucleus in volitional movement termination in Parkinson’s disease. Exp Neurol, 233:253-263. (+: equal contribution) (IF: 4.617)

5.    Lai HY, Chen YY*, Lin SH, Lo YC, Tsang S, Chen SY, Zhao WT, Chao WH, Shih YY, Chang YC, Tsai ST and Jaw FS (2011) Automatic spike sorting for extracellular electrophysiological recording using unsupervised single linkage clustering based on grey relational analysis. J Neural Eng, 8:036003. (IF: 3.415)