Our research is in the area of neural engineering: using engineering techniques to understand and control neural function. We work primarily on fundamental questions related to neural prostheses. Neural prostheses are a developing technology that uses electrical activation of the nervous system to restore function to individuals with neurological impairment. The long-term goal of our research program is to develop advanced neural prostheses that interface with the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to restore function.

Current projects include electrical stimulation for restoration of bladder function, deep brain stimulation for treatment of motor disorders, electrical stimulation for restoration of multi-joint motor function (e.g., reaching), and design of novel electrodes and waveforms for selective stimulation of the nervous system.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	1139 CIEMAS
Office Phone:	(919) 660-5276, (919) 660-5131
Email Address:
Web Page:

Education:

PhD, Case Western Reserve University, 1995

MS, Case Western Reserve University, 1992

BS, Boston University, 1989

Research Interests:

Dr. Grill’s research interests and in neural engineering and neural prostheses and include design and testing of electrodes and stimulation techniques, the electrical properties of tissues and cells, and computational neuroscience with applications in restoration of bladder function, treatment of movement disorders with deep brain stimulation, and multi-joint limb movement.

Specialties:

Neuroengineering
Neural Prosthesis

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

Elected Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2011
Chair, Neurotechnology Study Section, National Institutes of Health, 2010-2012
Capers & Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research, Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering
Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Profession, Boston University, 2007
Fellow, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, 2007
Neurotechnology Researcher of the Year, Neurotech Business Report, 2003
Senior Member, Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers, 2006

• BME 504.01, FUND ELEC STIM NERV SYS Synopsis

  Bio Sci TBA, TuTh 10:05 AM-11:20 AM

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. So RQ, McConnell GC, August AT, Grill WM, Characterizing effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on methamphetamine-induced circling behavior in hemi-Parkinsonian rats, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering (2012) .
2. Snellings A, Grill WM, Urethral flow-responsive afferents in cat sacral dorsal root ganglia, Neuroscience Letters, vol. 516 (2012), pp. 34-38 .
3. Kent AR, Grill WM, Recording evoked potentials during deep brain stimulation: development and evaluation of instrumentation to suppress the stimulation artifact, Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 9 no. 036004 (2012) .
4. Kuncel AM, Birdno MJ, Swan BD, Grill WM, Tremor reduction and modeled neural activity during cycling thalamic deep brain stimulation, Clinical Neurophysiology, vol. 123 (2012), pp. 1044-1052 .
5. Snellings A, Grill WM, Effects of stimulation site and stimulation parameters on bladder inhibition by electrical nerve stimulation, British Journal of Urology International, vol. 110 (2012), pp. 136-143 .
6. Chen SC, Grill WM, Fan WJ, Kuo TS, Kou YR, Peng CW, Bilateral pudendal afferent stimulation improves bladder emptying in rats with urinary retention, British Journal of Urology International, vol. 109 (2012), pp. 1051-1058 .
7. Wongsarnpigoon A, Grill WM, Computer-based model of epidural cortical stimulation: effects of electrode position and geometry on activation of cortical neurons, Clinical Neurophysiology, vol. 123 (2012), pp. 160-172 .
8. Birdno MJ, Dorval AD, Kuncel AM, Turner DA, Gross RE, Grill WM, Stimulus features underlying reduced tremor suppression with temporally patterned deep brain stimulation, Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 107 (2012), pp. 364-383 .
9. Wongsarnpigoon A, Grill WM, Effects of stimulation parameters and electrode location on thresholds for epidural stimulation of cat motor cortex, Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 8 (2011), pp. 066016 .
10. Brown B, Parker CB, Stoner BR, Grill WM, Glass JT, Electrochemical charge storage properties of vertically aligned carbon nanotube films: the activation-enhanced length effect, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, vol. 158 (2011), pp. K217-K224 .
11. Kennelly MJ, Bennett ME, Grill WM, Grill JH, Boggs JW, Electrical stimulation of the urethra evokes bladder contractions and emptying in spinal cord injury men: case studies, Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, vol. 343 (2011), pp. 315-321 .
12. Woock JP, Yoo PW, Grill WM, Mechanisms of reflex bladder activation by pudendal afferents, American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 300 (2011), pp. R398-R407 .
13. Santaniello S, Fienga G, Glielmo L, Grill WM, Closed-loop control of deep brain stimulation: a simulation study, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 19 (2011), pp. 15-24 .
14. Yoo PB, Horvath EH, Amundsen CL, Webster GD, Grill WM, Multiple pudendal sensory pathways reflexly modulate bladder and urethral activity in persons with spinal cord injury, Journal of Urology, vol. 185 (2011), pp. 737-743 .
15. Castoro M, Yoo PB, Hincapie J, Hamann J, Ruble S, Wolf P, Grill WM, Excitation properties of the right cervical vagus nerve in adult dog, Experimental Neurology, vol. 227 (2011), pp. 62-68 .