COES professor contributes to breakthrough technology advancing brain disorder research
COES professor contributes to breakthrough technology advancing brain disorder research
Publish Date: 2026-05-07 17:22:00
Source Domain: www.latech.edu
Louisiana Tech University is contributing to a cutting-edge technology that could
transform how scientists understand and treat brain disorders such as depression,
Parkinson’s disease, and addiction.
Dr. Elisa Castagnola, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering, and her team
in the College of Engineering and Science are part of an international research team
that includes collaborators from Tulane University, LSU Health Shreveport, and the
University of Genoa (Italy), whose findings were recently published in Advanced Functional Materials (AFM). Firmly established as a top-tier materials science journal, AFM publishes
breakthrough research across nanotechnology, chemistry, physics, and biology, and
is widely recognized for its rigorous peer review, high-quality content, and strong
impact within the global materials science community.
The team developed a novel nanomaterial-based coating that significantly enhances
the performance of implantable flexible neural sensors. These advanced sensors can
simultaneously detect key brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin while also recording
electrical activity. This dual capability provides researchers with a more dynamic
picture of how the brain functions in real time.
The brain communicates through both electrical signals and chemical messengers, but
most existing technologies can…
