Joseph Pancrazio

Joseph J. Pancrazio is Vice President for Research and Innovation and Professor of Bioengineering at The University of Texas at Dallas. He previously served as Associate Provost and held professorships at George Mason University and the Naval Research Laboratory. His research focuses on neural interfaces, neurotechnology, and biomaterials for chronic implant stability. Key interests include developing advanced materials like amorphous silicon carbide and antioxidant-coated microelectrodes to enhance neural coupling and reduce tissue damage.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (1990)
• M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (1988)
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois (1984)

Research Interests:

• Design of implantable neural interfaces
• Biomaterials for chronic stability
• Neurotechnology for pain modulation
• Pharmacological modulation of neuronal networks

His work bridges engineering and neuroscience, emphasizing translational applications like neuroprosthetics and drug screening platforms using neuronal networks on microelectrode arrays.

Recent Article Trends: Focus on material innovations (e.g., silicon carbide coatings, shape-memory polymers) and predictive modeling (e.g., NeurostimML) to address challenges in chronic implant reliability and neurostimulation safety.

Awards & Honors:

• AIMBE Fellow (2010)
• Neurotechnology Researcher of the Year (2016)
• Gold Electrode Award (2009, 2016)
• National Chair, Neural Interfaces Conference (2012)

Grants & Mentorship:

• Principal Investigator of NIH-funded projects on neural interfaces and chronic device stability
• Co-Investigator on grants exceeding $5M, including studies on nociceptor plasticity
• Directed the Neuronal Networks and Interfaces Laboratory, fostering collaborations in material science and neuropharmacology

Labs & Teams: Leads the Neuronal Networks and Interfaces Lab at UT Dallas, focusing on in vitro and in vivo neural interface design, drug screening platforms, and chronic implant durability.