Biodesign's Ranu Jung Elected President of the Organization for Computational Neuroscience

Joe Caspermeyer, Media Relations Manager & Science Editor
(480) 727-0369 | joseph.caspermeyer@asu.edu

Ranu Jung, co-director of the Center for Adaptive Neural Systems at ASU‘s Biodesign Institute and an associate professor in the Harrington Department of Bioengineering, is the new president of the international Organization for Computational Neurosciences.

Jung was elected to a three-year term at this summer’s 15th annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, attended by more than 400 participants. The group is helping lead the efforts of research centers throughout the world exploring the biology of computation in the brain and by promoting degree programs in this emergent field. Jung says she intends to increased awareness of what computational neuroscience can offer engineers and vice versa.

Computational neuroscientists study the human nervous system – from its macro level down to its molecular level – to guide development of bioengineering technology and computational strategies for interfacing with the nervous system, seeking ways to improve the lives of people with neurological disabilities.

Beyond its neuroscience core, computational neurosciences is an emergent, interdisciplinary field that involves psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, physics, computer science and engineering.

Researchers are trying to gain better knowledge of the body’s neural functions by combining experimental efforts with computational modeling and data analysis based on well-defined theoretical concepts, Jung explains.

Jung’s center at the Biodesign Institute focuses on developing and utilizing new scientific knowledge and engineering technology to address the complex physiological, medical and societal problems presented by neurological disability. The goal is to design adaptive engineered systems to promote adaptation in living systems.

She also is president and co-founder of AdveNSys, LLC, in Scottsdale, an early stage startup company working to commercialize and integrate the latest research in neurobiology-inspired engineering control systems with advances in biomimetic robotic actuators and composite material orthoses and prostheses to improve human mobility (see the Web site www.advensysllc.com)

“Jung is deserving of the presidency of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences. She is establishing herself among the most outstanding neural engineers and scientists in adaptive neural engineering, especially in the areas of spinal cord injury,” says Metin Akay, interim chair of the Harrington Department of Bioengineering.

“I know she will make extraordinary contributions to enhancing the scientific stature of the organization, and improve its quality and effectiveness,” he says.

Jung has been active within this community since 1992, when she first attended a highly selective summer course in Computational Neuroscience at Woods Hole, MA. Over the years, she has served on the Program Committee and since the incorporation of the organization five years ago, she has been on the organization’s board. With ASU’s growth in neuroscience and biomedical engineering and its strong biomathematics faculty, Jung sees an opportunity for the university to forge stronger links with the communities across the globe.

To help raise awareness of the field for new engineering students, during the fall semester, Jung gave a lecture titled “Computational Neuroscience for Biomedical Engineers” in BME 100.