Date: 26-30 May 2025
Location: Sozopol, Bulgaria (Bulgarian Black Sea Coast)
Target Audience: PhD students, junior postdocs, and advanced Master’s students in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, and related fields.
Contact emails (Dr. Tsvetelina Yorgova):
vibratelab@gmail.com
tsvetelina.yorgova@iict.bas.bg
About the Summer School
The VIBraTE-supported Summer School offers a comprehensive 5-day educational program, focused on cutting-edge advancements in neurotechnology, including neural implants, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and neuroinformatics.
The PhD Summer School aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the latest advancements and research methodologies in the fields of neural implants, non-invasive brain computer interfaces (BCIs), and neuroinformatics. Participants will engage in lectures, hands-on workshops, and collaborative projects that will equip them with the knowledge and skills to contribute to cutting-edge research in neurotechnology.
The students and postdocs are expected to interact with the lecturers for the duration of the event. As organizers we hope that this event will catalyze future research, potentially contributing to the advancements of BCI research in Bulgaria and internationally
Why Attend?
- Gain in-depth knowledge from leading experts in neurotechnology.
- Participate in hands-on workshops and real-world case studies.
- Network with professionals from academia, industry, and healthcare.
- Enhance your career through collaborative projects and expert feedback.
- Language: English
SPeakers
- Prof. Ivan Minev (TU Dresden & Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden)
- Dr. Arno Aarts (CEO, Atlas Neuro)
- Prof. Valentina Markova (TU Varna)
- Prof. Sebastian Haesler (Haesler Lab & NERF)
- Dr. Ivan Gligorjevic (Mbt & linkedin)
- Radostina Halacheva (JIC-BAS)
Program Highlights
- Afternoon: Registration of participants.
- Evening: Speakers’ Dinner.
Morning Session: moderator Prof. Dimiter Prodanov
- 09:30-10:00 Welcome & Introduction: Overview of the format, goals, and expected outcomes.
- 10:00-10:45 Keynote Lecture 1: Prof. Ivan Minev, Materials and Technologies for Soft and Multimodal Neural Implants.
- 10:45-11:15 Coffee Break
- 11:15-12:00 Keynote Lecture 2: Prof. Sebastian Haesler – ECoG and beyond
- 12:00-12:45 Discussion & Q&A
- 13:00-14:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: moderator Dr. Tsvetelina Yorgova
- 14:30-15:15 Technology Keynote: Dr. Arno Aarts, Introduction to Neural Implants: Types and Applications – An overview of various neural implants, including deep brain stimulators, cochlear implants, and cortical implants.
- 15:15-15:45 Coffee Break
- 15:45-16:30 Poster Pitches: Participants present themselves and their cases:
(1) Electromechanical measuring setup: Hristo Hristov and Plamen Pekov
(2) Study of mental workload when solving an individual cognitive task, using multichannel system for non-invasive brain-computer interface: Hristo Hristov and Irina Kancheva
(3) MIS: Microscopy Imaging Software: Stoyan Yordanov and Teodor Minev
(4) Studying Biomechanical Properties and Interactions in Living Phantom Tissue by Light Sheet Optical Microscopy: Grigori Matein
(5) FEM Simulations for Viscoelastic Fluctuations of Brain Implant System: Teodor Vakarelsky
(6) Inter-Brain Synchronization on Co-Creative Musical Performance: EEG Granger Causality and Phase-Locking Analysis of Leader-Follower Dynamics: Mahrad Ghodousi - 16:30-17:30 Group Work: Brainstorming Future Applications – Participants are divided into groups to brainstorm potential future applications of neural implants, focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration.
Morning Session: moderator Dr. Hristo Hristov
- 09:30-10:15 Lecture 3: Prof. Valentina Markova – From data to diagnosis: AI-driven insights and non-invasive techniques for assessing emotions, cognitive abilities, and postural health.
- 10:15-11:15 Lecture 4: Dr. Ivan Gligorijevic – Mind Reading – Present, Future, or Neither? An Introduction to Mobile EEG.
- 11:15-11:45 Coffee Break
- 11:45-12:30 Demo: BCI System & Eye Tracking
- 13:00-14:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: moderator Prof. Dimiter Prodanov
- 14:30-15:15 Lecture 5: Dr. Angel Mehandzhiyski – Evolution of DBS – from rage control in bulls to treatment of epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.
- 15:15-15:45 Demo: Dr. Cagatay Aydin (online) – Neuronal classification of Neuropixel data
- 15:45-16:15 Coffee Break
- 16:15-17:00 Workshop: Ethics and Societal Impacts of BCIs – A moderated discussion on the ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and societal implications of widespread BCI adoption, Panel: Dimiter Prodanov, Kristin Eskenazi, Angel Mehandzhiyski, Valentina Markova
- 17:00-17:45 Group work on cases
- 19:30-00:00 Group dinner in the hotel Vila List
Morning Session: moderator Dr. Stoyan Yordanov
- 09:30-10:15 Lecture 6: Prof. Nikola Kasabov (online) – From Neuroinformatics to Neurotechnology.
- 10:15-11:00 Lecture 7: Dr Tsvetelina Yorgova – Technology Transfer
- 11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
- 11:30-12:15 Demo: Prof. Dimiter Prodanov – Image Segmentation Pipeline using Active Segmentation for ImageJ
- 13:00-14:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: mentors Dr. Murad Redzheb and Dr. Stoyan Yordanov
- 14:30-16:00 Team Work: Group project development continues with mentor feedback.
- 16:00-18:00 Social Event: Cultural Excursion in Sozopol
Morning Session: moderator Murad Redzheb
- 09:30-10:15 Workshop: Radostina Halacheva and Tsvetelina Yorgova – Intellectual property for researchers.
- 10:15-11:00 Panel Discussion: Emerging Trends in Neurotechnology – Panel with experts from academia, industry, and healthcare discussing the future directions of neurotechnology, including closed-loop systems, neuromodulation, and neuroprosthetics, Panellists: Angel Mehandzhiyski, Arno Aarts, Ivan Gligorijevic
- 11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
- 13:00-14:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: Kristina Eskenazi
- 14:30-15:15 Panel: Kristina Eskenazi – The Intersection of AI and Neurotechnology. Panellists: Kristina Eskenazi, Dimiter Prodanov
- 15:15-15:45 Coffee Break
- 15:45-17:15 Team Work: Group project development continues with mentor feedback
- 19:30-00:00 Evening: Dinner
Morning Session: moderator Bilyana Taneva
- 09:30-10:45 Roundtable Discussion: Dr. Petko Stoev and Dr. Murad Redzheb – Translating Research to Real-World Applications – A discussion about the pathway from research to clinical and commercial applications, including regulatory challenges and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.
- 10:45-11:15 Coffee Break
- 11:15-12:00 Final Project Preparation
- 12:00-13:00 Closing Ceremony: Certificate distribution, final remarks, and a summary of key takeaways from the week. Project Presentations
- 13:00-13:45 Feedback Session: Participants receive feedback from peers and experts.
- 13:45 Departures
Departures
Registration & Fees
Fee reductions and scholarships are available for participants from low-income institutions.
Register now to secure your spot at the VIBraTE PhD Summer School and be part of shaping the future of neurotechnology!
Outcomes & Benefits
- Knowledge Expansion: Stay updated with the latest advancements.
- Practical Skills: Hands-on experience in neurotechnology systems.
- Networking Opportunities: Build valuable connections across disciplines.
- Career Development: Gain insights from seasoned professionals.