Sharena Rice, PhD

By prioritizing user-centric design, responsible data practices, and evidence-based solutions neurotech companies can not only drive user adoption but also foster long-term brand loyalty.

The field of neurotechnology stands at the cusp of a revolutionary era, with promising new therapeutics and other ways of improving quality of life. From neuromodulation to brain-computer interfaces, these innovations offer hope for restored functionality, improved mental health, cognitive enhancement, and more. Despite this immense potential and excitement, there lies a formidable barrier: the complex landscape of insurance reimbursement. In this article, we explore the challenges faced by… Show more

The field of neurotechnology stands at the cusp of a revolutionary era, with promising new therapeutics and other ways of improving quality of life. From neuromodulation to brain-computer interfaces, these innovations offer hope for restored functionality, improved mental health, cognitive enhancement, and more. Despite this immense potential and excitement, there lies a formidable barrier: the complex landscape of insurance reimbursement. In this article, we explore the challenges faced by neurotech companies in securing reimbursement for their products in the United States and the intricacies of insurance coverage. We then discuss pragmatic steps companies can employ to achieve and sustain reimbursement for their neurotechnologies. Show less

The neuroscience of cognition lives on the uncomfortable boundary between soft and hard science.
Joined Owen Muir, MD to write this guest post!

Four critical challenges faced by startups in neurotechnology, with strategies for developing resilient business models to achieve long-term success.

Initiating pathways from trainee to colleague in STEM.

GE Research targeted the hepatoportal plexus in people with type 2 diabetes using their peripheral focused ultrasound neuromodulation procedure in this Phase 1 trial. They found enhanced glucose regulation and improved insulin resistance in the body.

Conference report on the 2023 Bioelectronic Medicine Forum in New York City.

Boomerang Medical’s therapy uses implanted neuromodulation to reduce inflammation and restore homeostasis. In early 2023, they announced breakthrough device designation from the FDA for their approach to treating Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Team at Delft University created multilayer CVD graphene electrodes, which are electrically conductive and optically transparent via MRI.

Rhythmic gamma-band communication within and across cortical hemispheres is critical for optimal perception, navigation, and memory. Here, using multisite recordings in both rats and mice, we show that even faster ∼140 Hz rhythms are robustly anti-phase across cortical hemispheres, visually resembling splines, the interlocking teeth on mechanical gears. Splines are strongest in superficial granular retrosplenial cortex, a region important for spatial navigation and memory. Spline-frequency… Show more

Rhythmic gamma-band communication within and across cortical hemispheres is critical for optimal perception, navigation, and memory. Here, using multisite recordings in both rats and mice, we show that even faster ∼140 Hz rhythms are robustly anti-phase across cortical hemispheres, visually resembling splines, the interlocking teeth on mechanical gears. Splines are strongest in superficial granular retrosplenial cortex, a region important for spatial navigation and memory. Spline-frequency interhemispheric communication becomes more coherent and more precisely anti-phase at faster running speeds. Anti-phase splines also demarcate high-activity frames during REM sleep. While splines and associated neuronal spiking are anti-phase across retrosplenial hemispheres during navigation and REM sleep, gamma-rhythmic interhemispheric communication is precisely in-phase. Gamma and splines occur at distinct points of a theta cycle and thus highlight the ability of interhemispheric cortical communication to rapidly switch between in-phase (gamma) and anti-phase (spline) modes within individual theta cycles during both navigation and REM sleep. Show less

Modified version was published by Cell Reports. This is my dissertation.
The retrosplenial cortex is essential for spatial memory and navigation. We sought to learn about how the retrosplenial cortex encodes information through oscillations. Our experiment results reveal an oscillation pattern we call “splines”, resembling the similarly-named interlocking teeth on mechanical gears. Splines are 110-160 Hz, precisely coupled to the peaks of local theta rhythms, and observed during both REM… Show more

Modified version was published by Cell Reports. This is my dissertation.
The retrosplenial cortex is essential for spatial memory and navigation. We sought to learn about how the retrosplenial cortex encodes information through oscillations. Our experiment results reveal an oscillation pattern we call “splines”, resembling the similarly-named interlocking teeth on mechanical gears. Splines are 110-160 Hz, precisely coupled to the peaks of local theta rhythms, and observed during both REM sleep and active awake behaviors. We found that splines are distinct from gamma rhythms. While gamma rhythms are in-phase across the two retrosplenial hemispheres, splines are anti-phase across the hemispheres. By sorting theta cycles by either spline or gamma power, we show that retrosplenial splines and gamma oscillations occur independently of each other within any given theta cycle. Splines are also distinct from sharp wave ripples and alternate with sharp wave ripples across REM and NREM sleep, respectively. At higher running speeds, splines become more powerful, more strongly phase-amplitude coupled to theta, and have greater cross-hemispheric coherence. The retrosplenial cortex’s ability to rapidly switch between splines and gamma as distinct modes of rapid interhemispheric communication may allow this region to more effectively integrate information using two mechanistically distinct rhythms.

Modified versions of two of the chapters were submitted elsewhere as: Ghosh M*, Yang F*, Rice SP*,
Hetrick V, Lorenzo Gonzalez A, Siu D, Brennan EKW, John TT, Ahrens AM, Ahmed OJ.
2021. Running speed controls two distinct modes of rapid interhemispheric
communication. Show less

Precise sublaminar targeting of thalamic, claustral, cortical, & subicular afferents to computationally-distinct pyramidal neurons permits parallel navigation and fear circuits in superficial retrosplenial cortex.

How can we use natural systems to create artificial intelligence for situational understanding and appropriate action-- for the benefit of all beings?

Big fish in a small pond? Small fish in a big pond? Or is something else even better?

Get the most out of lectures with meta-learning strategies.

Stop banging your head against a textbook.

Neural underpinnings of spatial navigation, with many illustrations and wordplays.

The scientific method has a series of steps that can lead to conclusions. Is there an analogous decision-making method? Make great use of your information.

What mindset would be helpful for a person adopt when they train as a scientist? What will help them find happiness and fulfillment in this process?