Shaping the Future of Health Care with Bioelectronic Medicine

Student: Brady Riesgraf, 2017-2018

Bioelectronic Medicine is a rapidly evolving field in the realm of 21st century health care and medical treatment. In January 2017, the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research created the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine (CBEM), working to shape the future of medicine. With a foundation in neuroscience, molecular biology, and bioengineering, the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine is creating internal and external devices used to modulate and alter the nervous system. Working to utilize the most powerful tool in the human body, the nervous system, the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is working to reduce patients’ dependence on drugs, relieve pain, and cure and treat illnesses in a whole new fashion. By developing implantable devices that can record, interpret, and modulate the signals and pathways from the brain to specific target organs, the CBEM is working to eliminate the use of drugs and allow patients to regain their sense of autonomy and livelihood. With early clinical trials showing improvement in patients suffering from diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and paralysis, these devices show a promising outlook for creating treatments and cures for previously incurable illnesses.