Bashar Wadih Badran

Bashar Wadih Badran is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He directs the Neuro-X Lab and the Computational Brain Imaging Core, focusing on neuromodulation, neurotechnology, and innovation in addressing neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. His work integrates engineering principles with clinical applications, including the development of devices like Zendo (for meditation enhancement), BabyStrong (neonatal feeding systems), and MAAVNS (closed-loop neuromodulation for stroke rehabilitation).

Dr. Badran's research emphasizes non-invasive neuromodulation techniques such as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) and transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), with applications in depression, anxiety, neonatal feeding challenges, and pain management. His lab fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to advance neurotechnology solutions for complex medical conditions.

Key contributions include pioneering studies on taVNS paired with rehabilitation in newborns, exploring the effects of zero-gravity environments on brain stimulation, and evaluating tFUS for pain threshold modulation. His work has been published in high-impact journals such as Brain Stimulation and Neuromodulation.

Dr. Badran has led pilot trials for inpatient depression/anxiety treatment and long-COVID symptom management using taVNS. His innovations extend to startups addressing unmet clinical needs, reflecting a commitment to translational research and real-world healthcare impact.