Illinois bioengineering professor Jenny Amos has received a $3.5 million NSF grant to help improve the safety, security, and resilience of neural implants and other critical healthcare technologies. As part of an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team, Amos will contribute bioengineering expertise to the co-design of resilient hardware and software systems that protect patients while supporting the safe adoption of emerging neural devices. Her role emphasizes stakeholder engagement, ensuring that patient, caregiver, and clinician perspectives shape how these technologies are developed and deployed. The project underscores the essential role of bioengineering in bridging technical innovation with real-world healthcare needs.
Written by Jenny Amos
The grant is entitled “From Technology to Humans: Protecting Users of Neural and Medical Implant Technologies Through Resilience and Safety Engineering."
Bioengineering professor Jenny Amos has been awarded a research grant aimed at improving the safety, security and resilience of healthcare technologies. The $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support interdisciplinary efforts to protect users of neural implants and enhance cybersecurity in critical access hospitals.
The grant, titled “From Technology to Humans: Protecting Users of Neural and Medical Implant Technologies Through Resilience and Safety Engineering,” is part of the NSF’s Smart & Connected Communities program. This project brings together a diverse team of computer scientists, electrical engineers, medical doctors, neuroscientists, community groups and manufacturers to address pressing concerns around the safety and security of neural implant devices. Theproject will develop “the design of verifiably resilient control systems and simulations and design upgrades that build upon models of neural sensing and stimulation and explainable AI techniques,” according to the NSF abstract
The research will focus on developing hardware/software co-design solutions that empower safe adoption of emerging neural technologies. By engaging directly with patients, caregivers and medical professionals, the team aims to understand the real-world impact of these devices and deliver solutions that are both technically robust and socially responsive.
Amos will play a key role in stakeholder engagement and data collection, leveraging her 15 years of experience in medical device education and her extensive professional network.
“My goal is to ensure that the voices of patients, families and healthcare providers are central to the development of these technologies,” she said.
This project represents a significant step forward in securing the future of healthcare technologies. Amos’s involvement ensures that community voices and user experiences remain at the forefront of innovation.
Northeastern University in Boston is the lead institution in the NSF project, led by PI Kevin Fu. Besides Amos, other co-PIs in the NSF research are Julian Goldman, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Wayne Burleson of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Xuan Zhang of Northeastern University and Erika Petersen, MD, of the University of Arkansas.