Kendall H. Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

My research interests are to develop deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, tremor, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and epilepsy. I am fascinated with the possibility of combining sophisticated electrophysiological recordings with miniaturized analytical elements (microprocessors) to augment or repair disrupted function of the brain. At the present time, we can record pathological behavior in the brain, and we can provide exogenous input to the brain (such as Deep Brain Stimulation). But we cannot do this in real time, and the equipment is at present very bulky. In the future, we may close the loop and sense abnormal electrical discharges within the brain, but also intervene selectively both in time and in space. Also, we will be able to stimulate intermittently and only when needed, and we will affect only small regions of the brain with our stimulation. I want to participate in the development of tools and novel therapies made possible by increasingly sophisticated electrophysiological and bioengineering methods.