Discover the remarkable innovation happening at Case Western Reserve University during this series featuring the research and work that turns groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions. CWRU innovators will share how they developed their ideas, the challenges they encountered, and how their work is making a difference. This program is offered in partnership with Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship.
Location: Landmark Centre Building, 25700 Science Park Drive, Suite 100, Beachwood
Full Series Price: $50 (members receive $5 discount)
TAMING THE BRAIN'S ELECTRICAL STORMS: A NEW APPROACH TO EPILEPSY
Dominique Durand, PhD, EL Lindseth Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Distinguished University Professor, CWRU
Thursday, February 18 | 4-5:30 pm
Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide, and for many, medications don't fully control their seizures. This presentation explores an exciting new approach developed at Case Western Reserve University: using gentle, low-frequency electrical pulses delivered to the brain's "information highways" the white matter fiber tracts to calm seizure activity across large brain networks. Unlike traditional brain stimulation, which targets a single spot at high frequency, this method can quiet seizures on both sides of the brain simultaneously. Laboratory studies and early human trials show promising results, including up to 87% seizure reduction. Researchers are now working toward a single smart device that can both detect and stop seizures automatically.
ROBOTS INSPIRED BY ANIMALS: HOW TO TRAVERSE CHALLENGING TERRAIN
Kathryn A Daltorio, PhD, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dept., CWRU
Thursday, February 25 | 4-5:30 pm
What can we learn from animals when designing robots that need to navigate difficult environments? This fascinating talk will discuss worm robots that use soft body locomotion to crawl like worms and crab-like robots that walk through waves. The worm robots carry electrical conduit and the legged robots are being developed to remediate explosive hazards. The crab-like robots walk in waves to find potential hazards. Learn how CWRU engineers are looking to nature for creative solutions to some very challenging real-world problems.
TRUSTWORTHY COMPUTING: FROM AI ASSISTANTS TO ROBOTS
Vipin Chaudhary, PhD, Kevin J. Kranzusch Professor and Chair, Department of Computer and Data Sciences, CWRU
Thursday, March 4 | 4-5:30 pm
As AI moves from conversation into the physical world through robots and autonomous machines, how can we trust its decisions? This talk explores our work on helping AI recognize unusual situations, check its reasoning, and acknowledge uncertainty. Through accessible examples, we will discuss how these safeguards can make computing safer and more dependable in everyday life.
SEMANTIC MATERIALS SCIENCE: DATA-CENTRIC TOOLS TO CONNECT MATERIALS DATA IN ORDER TO DISCOVER PATTERNS, AND ADVANCE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Laura Bruckman, Climo Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, CWRU
Roger French, PhD, Distinguished University Professor, Kyocera Professor, Materials Science Department, CWRU
Thursday, March 11 | 4-5:30 pm
Inconsistent terminology and fragmented formats across research teams severely limit our ability to reuse historical data and reproduce long-term findings. Semantic materials science solves this by converting subjective research data into standardized reproducible data-centric workflows, allowing both humans and machines to reason across vast material lifespans.