Neurosciences Seminar - Luke Osborn, PhD

Neurosciences Seminar
Thursday, April 30, 2026
12 PM, BRB 105

Luke Osborn, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering,
Case Western Reserve University

Host: Dr. Britton Sauerbrei

Lecture Title: "Enhancing perception and sensorimotor function through advanced neural interfaces"

Abstract: Prosthetic limbs and brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can help restore sensorimotor function after injury. A major step in developing closed-loop neuroprostheses is providing meaningful tactile sensations back to the user. To enable this, we developed an electronic dermis (e-dermis) fingertip sensor, a thin-film thermoelectric cooling device, and noninvasive biomimetic stimulation approaches to convey nuanced touch information, including pain and temperature, back to humans during grasping with a robotic arm. Next, we used neurophysiology recordings to better understand the impact of these tactile perceptions for enabling human-machine integration. Collectively, our work explores the role of multimodal sensory stimulation and advanced hardware technologies for augmenting human sensorimotor function.

Bio: Luke Osborn is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He received a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas and an MSE and a PhD in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He received the Early Career Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas (2020), the Misha Mahowal Prize for Neuromorphic Engineering (2022), and was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work on restoring the sense of touch to individuals with limb amputation through novel electronic skins for robotic limbs. His research area is in neuroengineering with a focus on neuromorphic tactile sensing electronic skins and multimodal stimulation paradigms in human-machine interfaces to restore, augment, and enhance sensorimotor function.



Seminar Format
• Introduction by the host
• Presentation (approx. 45-50 min.)
Questions during the presentation are at the individual speaker’s discretion.
• 10-15 minutes of Q&A
We encourage students to ask the first questions.


Attendee Information
Free and open to the public. Seminars are not recorded.
Livestream will be available via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person.

Event updates and Zoom links are distributed through the Neurosciences seminar email list. Subscribe to our weekly announcements. https://case.edu/medicine/neurosciences/news-events/seminars-events

Questions - Neurosciences@case.edu

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