sumnern(at)caltech.edu
My research aims to give abilities back to people living with a neurological injury or disease. Throughout my time as a postdoc at Caltech, I developed a new, less invasive method for high performance brain-computer interfacing or “BCI” based on ultrasound.
I’m a Scientist at Convergent Research, BCI Strategist at AE Studio, and a visiting affiliate at Caltech. I trained as an NSF graduate research fellow in mechanical and aerospace engineering, but got my start in solid state physics and mechatronics.
Experience
Convergent Research
ScientistJanuary 2023 – present
AE Studio
BCI StrategistJanuary 2023 – present
Chief BCI Scientist
August 2020 – January 2023
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Visiting AffiliateJanuary 2023 – present
Postdoctoral Fellow
November 2017 – January 2023
Principal Investigator: Richard Andersen & Mikhail Shapiro
National Public Radio (NPR)
Managing Editor & Writer, "The Loh Down on Science", Host: Sandra T. Loh Co-creator & Host, “The Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition”
April 2016 - December 2020
University of California, Irvine
NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Biorobotics LaboratorySeptember 2012 – October 2017
Principal Investigator: David J. Reinkensmeyer
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Editorial Board MemberJanuary 2015 – October 2017
University of Utah
Research Associate, Haptics and Embedded Mechatronics Laboratory (HEML)May 2011-September 2012
Principal Investigator: William R. Provancher
Brigham Young University
Research Associate, Solid State Physics Laboratory (HEML)May 2011-September 2012
Principal Investigator: William R. Provancher