Current Lab Members
John Seymour
Assoc. Prof. at UTHealth in Neurosurgery
Adjunct Assoc. Prof at Rice in Electrical & Computer Eng
Core Faculty at Rice Neuroengineering Initiative
john.p.seymour at uth.tmc.edu
john.seymour at rice.edu
TBBL is laser focused on the translation of implantable sensing and stimulating technology in humans, including brain-computer interfaces. More broadly, my interests are in the area of advanced neurotechnology for clinical use or neuroscience. My research has addressed topics including reduced tissue reactivity and improved electrical, mechanical, and optical characteristics of bioelectronic devices. I earned my B.S. with Honors in Engineering Physics from (the) Ohio State University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan. My industry experience includes working at Battelle Memorial and later NeuroNexus as a Principal Scientist. I also served as research faculty in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan prior to joining UTHealth Houston.
​
Outside work and family, I’m trying to improve my downhill skiing and biking, fishing, photography, gardening skills. A long way to go!​
Amada Abrego Mancilla
Lab Manager, Senior Research Engineer
Amada.M.AbregoMancilla at uth.tmc.edu
I joined the lab in January 2020 as a lab Engineering Assistant. During my Master’s in Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University, I studied the vestibular contributions to the navigational circuit at Dora Angelaki and David Dickman’s labs. I also received a Master’s in Bioengineering from Rice University and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Monterrey Tech, Mexico.
​
When not doing science, I love to bake and pamper my dogs.​
Jace Willis
Postdoctoral Fellow
Jace.A.Willis at uth.tmc.edu
I hold a B.S. in Physics with Honors from Tarleton State University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University (2023). My interest in neural interfaces began with an retinal implant exhibit in 2005 and has since expanded to encompass a wide range of experimental and clinical neurotechnology. I strongly believe that advancing neural interfacing is crucial to the development of effective therapies for a number of neurological diseases and disorders. At TBBL, I am thrilled to utilize my expertise in physics and biology to optimize custom neuroelectronic applications through computational brain and device modeling.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I find joy in hiking state and national parks, engaging in strategy games, honing my miniature painting skills, and practicing marksmanship.
has context menu
Priyan Pathirana
ECE Graduate Student, Rice University
pvp1 at rice.edu
I grew up in Albany, NY but studied at Boston University where in 2021, I received my B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. My work has taken me as far as Tanzania designing devices to assess the quality of Malarial lateral flow assays under Dr. Muhammad Zaman. Most recently I worked at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital with Dr. Ara Nazarian Boston studying dynamic soft tissue mechanics of tendons. I am excited to be here as a Rice University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering MS/PhD student studying novel nanofabrication techniques and translational neural electrodes.
​
Outside of my work, I love cooking all types of cuisines and playing guitar!​
Benedict Andam
ECE Graduate Student, Rice University
ba36 at rice.edu
My undergraduate journey in Biomedical Engineering at KNUST in Ghana sparked my interest in bioinstrumentation and medical device manufacturing. This evolved into a focus on prosthetics and neuroengineering. After completing my degree in 2020 and serving as a Teaching Assistant in 2021, I gained practical experience as a Clinical Engineer/Field Service Biomedical Engineer in Ghana for nearly two years. Joining TBBL has been a significant step, allowing me to contribute to innovative neural interfaces and advanced fabrication methods for clinical use and neuroscience applications.
Beyond my academic pursuits, I love playing the piano, soccer, and working out. I am also eager to improve my skills in basketball and learn to play tennis.
_edited_jp.jpg)
Junhao Cao
ECE Graduate Student, Rice University
jc252 at rice.edu
I earned my B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2021 and my M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2022 from University of Michigan, with a focus on MEMS. During my M.S.studies, I worked in Prof. Euisik Yoon's Lab, where I gained experience in microfabrication and assembly of neural devices, further fueling my interest in neurotechnology. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in ECE at Rice University and am excited to join TBBL to contribute to the development of innovative translational neural interfaces.
Outside of my research, I enjoy brewing and drinking coffee, playing games, and cooking. I am also open to exploring new interests in the future.
David Van der Laan
ECE Graduate Student, Rice University
dv51 at rice.edu
​
Angel Nunez
Neuroelectronics Technician
Angel.Nunez at uth.tmc.edu
I joined the lab in February 2023. I studied electronics and have over 7 years of experience working as an Avionics technician on UAV systems. I'm currently going to school to pursue an engineering degree and expand my career. In my free time, I like to sketch, work on electronics projects, and drive into Linux operating systems.
Camryn Matthews
Research Assistant II
Camryn.Matthews at uth.tmc.edu
I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2023 where I received a B.S. in Biochemistry. Before joining the lab, I worked with mice performing stereotaxic surgeries and calcium imaging to study Parkinson’s disease. I have always had an interest in biology and bioengineering so joining a lab where I can gain more knowledge and insight into neuroscience and different engineering techniques is very exciting.
In my free time, I really enjoy reading and swimming.
Justin Howard
Medical Device Technician
Justin.Howard at uth.tmc.edu
I earned my B.S in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Texas in 2022. I have had a few years of experience working in the medical device industry from my senior design capstone project and working with upcoming biomedical companies. To being a medical device technician and gaining valuable hands on experiences with fragile and complex medical devices, to working as a process engineer and understanding process control and design of medical devices in the manufacturing field. Lastly I have traveled to various customer sites and understand the importance of appropriate customer- employee interface interactions, and finding ways to constantly improve process control and quality control/management. I am excited to take my experience to the TBL team and help improve the manufacturing teams capabilities.
Outside of engineering, I love to learn on my own, a huge sports junky, love to go biking, animals(favorite: dogs), and trying interesting/new food spots around the city!
Alumni
-
Jongcheon Lim (Postdoctoral Fellow) at SanaHeal
-
Mohammad Ghajar (Postdoctoral Fellow) at Torpedo Therapeutics
-
Wasif Khan (Postdoctoral Fellow) at Science
-
Sibo Gao (Postdoctoral Fellow) at Methodist Hospital
-
Ankita Bhat (Postdoctoral Fellow) at Intel
-
Christopher Wright (Research Engineer) at Rice University
-
Xiaokang Bai (Research Engineer)
-
Ryan Shores (Graduate Student)