Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Our research employs engineering approaches to understand and control neural function. We work on fundamental questions and applied development in electrical stimulation of the nervous system to restore function to individuals with neurological impairment or injury.
Current projects include:
• understanding the mechanisms of and developing advanced approaches to deep brain stimulation to treat movement disorders,
• developing novel approaches to peripheral nerve electrical stimulation for restoration of bladder function,
• understanding the mechanisms of and developing advanced approaches to spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic pain,
• understanding and controlling the cellular effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation, and
• design of novel electrodes and waveforms for selective stimulation of the nervous system.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Bass Fellow
- Professor in Neurobiology
- Professor in Neurosurgery
- Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
- Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
- Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Contact Information
- Office Location: CIEMAS 1139, Durham, NC 27708
- Office Phone: (919) 660-5276
- Email Address: warren.grill@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- B.S. Boston University, 1989
- M.S. Case Western Reserve University, 1992
- Ph.D. Case Western Reserve University, 1995
Research Interests
Neural engineering and neural prostheses and include design and testing of electrodes and stimulation techniques, the electrical properties of tissues and cells, and computational neuroscience with applications in restoration of bladder function, treatment of movement disorders with deep brain stimulation, and treatment of chronic pain.Courses Taught
- BME 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)
- BME 394: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
- BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
- BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
- BME 504: Fundamentals of Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System (EL, GE)
- BME 515: Neural Prosthetic Systems (GE, EL, IM)
- BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
- BME 804: Developments in Neural Engineering
- NEUROBIO 393: Research Independent Study
- NEUROBIO 793: Research in Neurobiology
- NEUROSCI 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)
- NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
- NEUROSCI 504: Fundamentals of Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System (EL, GE)
- NEUROSCI 515: Neural Prosthetic Systems (GE, EL, IM)
In the News
- Three Duke Engineers Elected to National Academy of Inventors (Dec 14, 2022 | P…
- Light-Based Deep Brain Stimulation Relieves Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (Ap…
- Duke Awards Distinguished Professorships, Inducts New Bass Society Members (May…
- Deep Brain Stimulation as Treatment for Parkinson’s (Nov 10, 2015 | Duke Resear…
- Trying a New Pulse for Pain Relief (Nov 1, 2015)
- Biomedical Device students face engineering and business challenges while helpi…
- Duke neuroscientist wins $4 million grant to study Parkinson's disease (Jun 26,…
- Allen Song Named Interim Director of Brain Institute (Jun 26, 2015)
- Warren Grill on Using Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Parkinson's (Jun 24, 2015)
- DIBS Director Takes New Role at Penn (Jun 16, 2015)
- Warren Grill comments: Brain implant trials raise ethical concerns (Jun 15, 201…
- Nita Farahany Q-and-A: Neuroscience and the law (May 5, 2015 | Bio Edge)
Representative Publications
- Gilbert, John E., Tianhe Zhang, Rosana Esteller, and Warren M. Grill. “Network model of nociceptive processing in the superficial spinal dorsal horn reveals mechanisms of hyperalgesia, allodynia, and spinal cord stimulation.” Journal of Neurophysiology 130, no. 5 (November 2023): 1103–17. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00186.2023.
- Palopoli-Trojani, Kay, Stephen L. Schmidt, Karley D. Baringer, Theodore A. Slotkin, Jennifer J. Peters, Dennis A. Turner, and Warren M. Grill. “Temporally non-regular patterns of deep brain stimulation (DBS) enhance assessment of evoked potentials while maintaining motor symptom management in Parkinson's disease (PD).” Brain Stimul 16, no. 6 (October 19, 2023): 1630–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2023.10.009.
- Barth, Bradley B., Emily R. Redington, Nitisha Gautam, Nicole A. Pelot, and Warren M. Grill. “Calcium image analysis in the moving gut.” Neurogastroenterology and Motility, September 2023, e14678. https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.14678.
- Aberra, Aman S., Adrian Lopez, Warren M. Grill, and Angel V. Peterchev. “Rapid estimation of cortical neuron activation thresholds by transcranial magnetic stimulation using convolutional neural networks.” Neuroimage 275 (July 15, 2023): 120184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120184.
- Thio, Brandon J., and Warren M. Grill. “Relative contributions of different neural sources to the EEG.” NeuroImage 275 (July 2023): 120179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120179.