Leadership

Simon Sponberg is Dunn Family Associate Professor in the School of Physics and the School of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences. Sponberg and his research group (the Agile Systems Lab) explore how neurons precisely orchestrate motor activity at the millisecond scale, how the versatility of muscle arises from the physics of billions of organized tiny molecular motors, how animals acquire, process, and act on sensory information to rapidly control agile flight and how flowers blow in the wind (and what that does to the pollinators around them). His lab has developed methods for recording a nearly complete motor program of every spike in the motor system of a behaving insect and using multielectrode arrays to assess precise spiking activity across multiple brain regions. They welcome interdisciplinary students interested in electrophysiology, motor control, neuromuscular physiology, neurophysics, comparative neuromechanics, and computational neuroscience. He now leads an Air Force Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) bringing together neuroscientists and engineers from five universities to understand how the brains of organisms achieve fast, flexible perception and decision making in complex sensory environments.

Christopher Rozell is the Julian T. Hightower Chaired Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering. Rozell's research combines aspects of neuroscience, neuroengineering, and machine learning to advance our understanding of brain function and the design of effective therapies. The impact of this work includes the advancement of novel neurostimulation therapies for psychiatric and neurologic disorders, new models of how brain activity encodes cognitive and perceptual information, and new technologies to advance scientific discovery. In addition to his work developing intelligent interactions with the brain, Rozell's scholarly activity also includes research and creative work that advances our understanding of the ethics, policy, and public engagement issues around emerging areas such as neurotechnology and AI. Rozell is proud to be a first-generation scholar who is committed to expanding access in our educational institutions and scientific communities. He is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of Neuromatch, Inc., a global nonprofit accelerating innovation by facilitating participation in the computational sciences.

Jennifer Singh is Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of History and Sociology in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Singh is a sociologist who specializes in medical sociology and science and technology studies. She is an expert in qualitative research, which investigates the intersections of science, health, and society. Her book, Multiple Autisms: Spectrums of Advocacy and Genomic Science, is a multi-sited ethnography that explores a range of perspectives from scientists, activists, parents, and people living with autism surrounding the rise, implementation, and impact of autism genetics research. Her current research examines the intersectional inequities to autism services and diagnosis among low-income racial and ethnic minority communities. Accompanying this research, Singh is designing public facing materials, data visualizations, and interactive platforms that will raise awareness and mitigate autism services inequities. She teaches courses on medical sociology, sociology of science and technology, and race, medicine, and science.

Sarah Peterson is Program Manager for the Neuro Next Initiative. Trained as a humanities scholar, Sarah has worked in and around Higher Education for more than 15 years, supporting undergraduate and graduate programs, cultivating community and connection among students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and between scientists and the public. She is a Co-Founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Science Festival and its parent organization Science ATL, where she has worked to develop strategy, partnerships, and programs that bring people together through their lifelong sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Sarah manages the operations of the Neuro Next Initiative. Connect with Sarah. 

Audra Davidson is the Communications Manager for the Neuro Next Initiative. As she was studying applied physiology and completing her Masters in Biology, Audra started exploring science communications with roles at the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental Scientific Affairs and NASA Langley Research Center. As part of the Communications team in the College of Sciences, Audra strengthened her expertise and knowledge of strategic research areas. She now oversees all communications efforts for Neuro Next. Connect with Audra. 

Janlia Riley has a background in marketing and graphic design. Over the 22+ years of her professional career she has supported c-suite clients and worked in business operations within different industries, from IT, medical, entertainment, emergency management, and nonprofit organizations. She enjoys fostering relationships and outreach efforts for community engagement, staffing, and volunteer recruitment, and she has an interest in understanding and improving the human heart-brain and energetic body cohesion. Ms. Riley supports the coordination of the Seminar Series and general operations of the Neuro Next Initiative. Connect with Janlia.