BME Seminar
Presenter: Kevin Otto, Ph.D., Dane A. Miller Head and
Professor Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering,
Purdue University
Hosted by Dr. Abidemi Ajiboye
Dr. Kevin J. Otto is the Dane A. Miller Head and Professor of the Weldon School of Biomedical
Engineering (BME) at Purdue University, where his research interests include neural engineering, devicetissue
interfaces, and neurostimulation. He joined Purdue in 2024, coming from the University of Florida,
where he was a Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of
Biomedical Engineering.
He received the BS degree in chemical engineering from Colorado State University (1997), and both the
MS degree (2002) and PhD degree (2003) in Bioengineering from Arizona State University. From 2003
to 2004 he was a Research Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of
Michigan where his work focused on brain-machine interface systems and implantable devices. From
2004 to 2006 he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Central Systems Laboratory in the Kresge Hearing
Research Institute in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Michigan where his work
focused on cochlear implants. He was an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at Purdue
University from 2006-2014.
An accomplished leader, he served as the Senior Associate Chair of the UF BME Department from 2020-
2023, leading the academic programs through the COVID pandemic and initializing ABET Accreditation
preparations. He also led by serving as PI on several multidisciplinary, multi-investigator research
projects including a 4-year NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies
(BRAIN) Program U01, and two separate DARPA Programs, a 4-year Targeted Neuroplasticity Training
(TNT) Program and a 3-year Reliable Neural Interface Technologies (RE-NET) Program. While faculty
at Purdue University he served as the Awards Committee Chair for the Weldon School from 2011-2014
and as the Faculty Advisor for the Weldon School Graduate Student Association from 2007-2014. He was
also very active in the Purdue Sigma Xi chapter, serving as the Distinguished Lecture Committee Chair
from 2012-2014. A dedicated mentor, he has supervised over 56 post-doctoral and graduate trainees, and
over 115 undergraduate students. He has received many honors and recognitions, including the UF
Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award, the UF BME Service Award, the UF BME Research
Award, the Weldon School Faculty Service Award, and the Outstanding Faculty Award from the Weldon
School Graduate Student Association. He is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and
the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), a Senior Member of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and has served on numerous editorial and
advisory boards.
Abstract:
Direct interfacing of micro-devices with the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves has the potential to
revolutionize the medical treatment of many neurological diseases or injuries. Information transfer using a
chronically implanted neural interface depends upon the quality of the device-tissue interface. Implanted
electrodes offer unique opportunities for device design and performance; however, they can demonstrate
challenges in long-term reliability which we seek to address with engineering solutions. Increasingly, highfidelity
neural interfaces are being developed with increasingly smaller electrode site areas; unfortunately,
these electrodes can suffer even greater long-term reliability challenges post-implant. Here we will discuss our
neuroengineering efforts at the intersection of device development and performance. We explore applications
including sensory restoration, pain management, improving learning, and bioelectronic medicine applications
such as diabetes and hypertension.