Stevens Professor Blends Engineering and Biology to Study the Brain

Ilke Uguz develops soft, flexible implants to record brain activity and deliver targeted drugs for neurological conditions

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Ilke Uguz, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, is combining his expertise in electrical engineering, materials science, and biology to develop innovative brain-computer interface technologies. Uguz's InBrain Electronics Lab is creating soft, flexible implantable devices designed to record brain activity and deliver targeted drugs to help study and treat conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and brain tumors. By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, Uguz is fostering collaborative research that aims to push the boundaries of what's possible in neurotechnology.

Why it matters

Uguz's work represents a convergence of multiple scientific disciplines to tackle some of the most complex challenges in neuroscience and medicine. His approach of blending engineering, materials science, and biology could lead to transformative new technologies that provide unprecedented insights into the brain and enable more effective treatments for neurological disorders.

The details

Uguz's research focuses on developing soft, flexible, and long-lasting brain-computer interface devices that can be safely implanted in the brain. These devices are designed to record neural activity and deliver targeted drug therapies, which could enable earlier diagnosis and more timely intervention for conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and brain tumors. Uguz's lab brings together students from electrical engineering and physiology backgrounds, allowing them to collaborate across disciplines and gain a comprehensive understanding of the device development and testing process.

  • Uguz joined the Stevens faculty in 2024.
  • Last year, Uguz launched the Stevens InBrain Electronics Lab.

The players

Ilke Uguz

An assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, Uguz is blending his expertise in electrical engineering, materials science, and biology to develop innovative brain-computer interface technologies.

Stevens Institute of Technology

A private research university located in Hoboken, New Jersey, where Uguz's InBrain Electronics Lab is based.

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What they’re saying

“Physics gave me a foundation to understand phenomena at the cellular scale, engineering trained me to translate those principles into systems at larger scales, and materials science provided the tools and components needed to bridge the two.”

— Ilke Uguz, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering (stevens.edu)

“What excites me most is working with unconventional electronics whose capabilities improve every day. This research is essentially collaborative: I do my part, publish my results, and learn from others, which allows me to help push the field forward, step by step.”

— Ilke Uguz, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering (stevens.edu)

What’s next

Uguz plans to continue expanding the capabilities of the soft, flexible brain-computer interface devices developed in his InBrain Electronics Lab, with the goal of enabling more effective diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions.

The takeaway

Ilke Uguz's interdisciplinary approach to biomedical engineering, combining expertise in electrical engineering, materials science, and biology, is leading to the development of innovative neurotechnology that could transform our understanding and treatment of the brain.