Prof Rabia Yazicigil, Boston University, USA

Seminar Title: Cyber-Secure Biological Systems

Abstract: This talk will introduce Cyber-Secure Biological Systems, leveraging living sensors constructed from engineered biological entities seamlessly integrated with solid-state circuits. This unique synergy harnesses the advantages of biology while incorporating the reliability and communication infrastructure of electronics, offering a unique solution to societal challenges in healthcare, manufacturing, and environmental monitoring. In this talk, examples of Cyber-Secure Biological Systems, such as miniaturized ingestible bioelectronic capsules for gastrointestinal tract monitoring, hybrid microfluidic-bioelectronic systems for environmental monitoring, and sensors for biomanufacturing, will be presented.

Biography:

Rabia Tugce Yazicigil is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2016 and was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT. Her research spans integrated circuits, biosensing, signal processing, hardware security, and wireless systems, with a focus on energy-constrained applications. She is the recipient of several honors, including the NSF CAREER Award (2024), BU’s Early Career Excellence in Research Award (2024), and the Catalyst Foundation Award (2021). She currently serves as Chair of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Women-in-Circuits Committee and the SSCS Distinguished Lecture Program and is an IEEE SSCS and CASS Distinguished Lecturer (2024–2026). She was also selected for the National Academy of Engineering U.S. Frontiers of Engineering cohort (2024).

Biography:

Jason Eshraghian is an Assistant Professor and Fulbright Scholar in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the developer of snnTorch, a Python library with over 500,000 downloads for training spiking neural networks. He is a dual-appointed IEEE CAS and EMBS Distinguished Lecturer, an Associate Editor of APL Machine Learning, the Chair of the IEEE Neural Systems and Applications Technical Committee, has been the recipient of seven IEEE Best Paper Awards, a Scientific Advisory Board Member of BrainChip and is the Director of Neuromorphic Computing at Conscium.

Dr Chutham Sawigun, IMEC, Belgium

Talk Title: Circuits for Next-Generation Neural Interface

Abstract: The rapid development of neural interface systems is driving the need for highly integrated circuits that combine low noise, ultra-low power consumption, compact area, and scalability to large channel counts. This talk provides an overview of key circuit and architectural techniques that address these challenges across a range of neural interface applications. Starting from the fundamentals of neural signal acquisition and electrical stimulation, the tutorial examines approaches for improving power, area, and noise efficiency in high-channel-count neural recording systems. It then discusses the additional circuit requirements of multielectrode arrays (MEAs) for in vitro applications, including electroporation and impedance spectroscopy. Finally, closed-loop neuromodulation systems are explored, with particular emphasis on stimulation-artifact suppression and robust simultaneous neural recording and stimulation. Through representative state-of-the-art designs, the tutorial highlights the trade-offs, design strategies, and emerging trends spanning in vivo neural probes, multimodal MEAs, and closed-loop neuromodulation systems.

Biography:

Chutham Sawigun is a Senior Researcher at imec, Belgium, where he conducts research in analogue and mixed-signal ICs for high-density neural recording and neuromodulation. He received his Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology in 2014, where his research focused on nanopower analogue IC design for biomedical signal processing. Dr Sawigun contributes actively to the IEEE community, serving on the Student Research Preview (SRP) Committee of the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) from 2023 to 2027. His editorial service includes serving as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems (TBioCAS) and as a Guest Editor for special sections featuring research from ISSCC 2026, BioCAS 2025, and ISICAS 2025. His research has focused on ultra-low-power circuit architectures, including the development of analogue front-ends for a 22-nm FDSOI 128-channel IC, reported as the world’s smallest of its kind. Prior to joining IMEC, he was an Assistant Professor and Research Group Head at Mahanakorn University of Technology, Thailand. He is an inventor on several patents and the author of the book Analog IC Design Techniques for Nanopower Biomedical Signal Processing.

Dr Kyle van Oosterhout, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Talk Title: Flexible Electronics: Conformable Biosensor Interfaces to the Human Body

Abstract: Can flexible electronics deliver the low-noise performance required for biomedical sensing? This presentation explores that question through two advanced systems based on amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs) for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and prosthetic control. While a-IGZO enables lightweight, conformable, and scalable electronics, its unipolar nature poses fundamental challenges for analog circuit design and noise performance. Overcoming these limitations requires dedicated circuit architectures and noise-reduction techniques capable of extracting weak biological signals with high fidelity. The first example focuses on high-density neural interfaces, where signal amplitudes are even smaller and noise requirements become more demanding. A flexible active front-end for BCIs achieves a noise efficiency factor (NEF) of 9.8, comparable to silicon-based systems, while maintaining a power density of only 3.5 mW/cm². The system supports high-density neural recording and enables gesture classification with 94% accuracy. The second example demonstrates the first fully flexible, high-impedance front-end integrated directly on a wearable substrate for dry electromyography (EMG) sensing. Despite the constraints of flexible TFT technology, the system achieves low input noise (22 µVrms), minimal offset (4.6 mV), and record-high input impedance (841 MΩ), enabling accurate muscle signal acquisition and real-time control of a lower-arm prosthesis with 20° RMSE angular accuracy. By highlighting both the opportunities and circuit-level challenges of unipolar a-IGZO technology, this presentation illustrates how flexible electronics is advancing from a promising emerging technology toward a viable platform for next-generation wearable and implantable human-machine interfaces.

Biography:

Kyle van Oosterhout received the B.S. degree (cum laude), M.S. degree (cum laude), and Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, in 2018, 2020, and 2026, respectively. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology. His research focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design, spanning both Si-CMOS and flexible electronic technologies. His work explores low-noise and energy-efficient interfaces for biomedical sensing applications, including neural interfaces, brain-computer interfaces, and wearable electromyography systems. His broader interests include large-area electronics and the development of next-generation human-machine interfaces enabled by flexible integrated circuits.