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ALBANY, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced today that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant totaling $240,106 to fund research toward developing a model-based approach to capture and examine brain activity. Having access to a model of this kind will enable future generations of engineers and clinicians to better understand and assess countless aspects of brain health.

“Our Capital Region scientists and researchers are among America’s most valuable driving forces in technological and scientific discovery, achieving extraordinary advancements that help improve lives and deepen understanding now and for years to come,” Congressman Tonko said. “The potential of this particular project would not be possible without the incredible brilliance and hard work of the students, researchers and professors who bring it to life. Congratulations to all involved in this incredible program, and to the National Science Foundation for their wisdom in supporting the visionary work happening at RPI and across our region.”

“What we’ve realized is that the brain should work more or less like a piano. If you have a piano, and no one is playing the keys, there’s no music. If the keys are playing in the right order, you start hearing music. That’s what we would like to see in the brain, and we can develop mathematical models that capture how that process works,” said Sergio Pequito, lead investigator of this project and assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering at Rensselaer. “Scientific research is a cornerstone of our work here at Rensselaer, and with the support of the National Science Foundation, this research will provide new insights and information into brain organization and cognition.”

The NSF was established by Congress in 1950 as an independent federal agency and works to develop cutting edge technologies in physics, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education. Currently, NSF is responsible for funding 24 percent of all federally backed research at national colleges and universities.

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