Our research is in the area of neural engineering: using engineering techniques to understand and control neural function. We develop and advance 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 nervous system to restore function.

Current projects include electrical stimulation for restoration of bladder function, deep brain stimulation for treatment of motor disorders, spinal cord stimulation for treatment of chronic pain, 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 treatment of chronic pain.

Specialties:

Neuroengineering
Neural Prosthesis

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

Outstanding Postdoc Mentor, Duke University, 2013
Secretarial Appointee, Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special-Disabilities Programs, 2013
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
Senior Member, Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers, 2006

• BME 101L, ELECTROBIOLOGY

• BME 265.0, Neural Prosthetic Systems

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Kent AR, Grill WM, Neural origin of evoked potentials during deep brain stimulation., Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 110 (2013), pp. 826-843 .
2. Brocker DT, Grill WM, Principles of electrical stimulation of neural tissue, Handbook of Clinical Neurology, vol. 116 (2013), pp. 3-18 .
3. Frahm KS, Morch CD, Grill WM, Lubock NB, Hennings K, Andersen OK, Activation of peripheral nerve fibers by electrical stimulation in the sole of the foot., BMC Neuroscience (2013), pp. 1276403746934891 .
4. Kent AR, Grill WM, Model-based analysis and design of nerve cuff electrodes for restoring bladder function by selective stimulation of the pudendal nerve., Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 10 (2013), pp. 036010 .
5. Brocker DT, Swan BD, Turner DA, Gross RE, Tatter SB, Miller Koop M, Bronte-Stewart H, Grill WM, Improved efficacy of temporally non-regular deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease., Experimental Neurology, vol. 239 (2013), pp. 60–67 .
6. Yoo PB, Lubock N, Hincapie JG, Ruble SB, Hamann JJ, Grill WM, High-resolution measurement of electrically-evoked vagus nerve activity in the anesthetized dog., Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 10 (2013), pp. 026003 .
7. Mueller JK, Grill WM, Model-based analysis of multiple electrode array stimulation for epiretinal visual prostheses., Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 10 (2013), pp. 036002 .
8. McConnell GC, So RQ, Hilliard JD, Lopomo P, Grill WM, Effective deep brain stimulation suppresses low frequency network oscillations in the basal ganglia by regularizing neural firing patterns., Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 32 (2013), pp. 15657-15668 .
9. 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, vol. 20 (2012), pp. 626-635 .
10. 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) .
11. 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 .
12. 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 .
13. 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 .
14. 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 .
15. 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 .
16. 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 .

Selected Other

1. Consultant, Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee,Center for Devices and Radiological Health, 2002 - present    
2. Editorial Board, Journal of Neural Engineering, 2006 - present    
3. Editorial Board, Brain Stimulation, 2007 - present