معرفی
Meryem Ayşe Yücel serves as a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University's College of Engineering, where she also holds the position of Technical Director for the Neurophotonics Center. Her work bridges engineering innovation with clinical neuroscience applications, focusing on advancing functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology for real-world implementation.
Dr. Yücel earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Bogazici University in Turkey. Her educational foundation supports her interdisciplinary approach to neuroimaging research.
Her research centers on developing and refining fNIRS methodologies for brain imaging, with particular emphasis on clinical translation and accessibility. She investigates cortical activation patterns during naturalistic activities like walking, conversation, and cognitive tasks, applying these insights to conditions including knee osteoarthritis, aphasia, stroke recovery, and pediatric development. Her work consistently addresses critical barriers in neuroimaging such as signal quality across diverse skin and hair types, driving inclusive research practices. Recent publications highlight her leadership in standardization efforts through projects like the fNIRS glossary and NIRS-BIDS data framework.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward mobile, high-density fNIRS systems operating in natural environments. Her research increasingly integrates multimodal approaches (fNIRS-EEG), develops open-source hardware (ninjaNIRS, ninjaCap), and establishes reproducibility standards for the field. Clinical applications dominate her output, particularly in pain assessment, rehabilitation, and cognitive neuroscience.
Dr. Yücel's scientific recognition includes:
- Society of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Community Award (2022)
- Light of the Lab Award for Functional Inclusiveness (2022)
- TUBITAK Fellowships for Visiting Scientists (2022)
- Facebook Award for Engineering Approaches to Responsible Neural Interface Design (2021)
- SfNIRS Early Investigator Award Finalist (2016)
- Britton Chance Symposium Travel Award (2013)
- TUBITAK Integrated Doctoral Fellowship (2006-2010)
As Technical Director of the Neurophotonics Center, she leads a multidisciplinary team developing next-generation optical brain imaging systems. Her leadership extends to community-building initiatives that promote open science and methodological rigor in fNIRS research, while her Facebook-funded project demonstrates successful translation of engineering solutions to neural interface challenges.
The Neurophotonics Center under her technical direction pioneers wearable fNIRS technologies for naturalistic neuroscience, with recent innovations including flexible circuit-based imaging systems and 3D-printable headgear that enable high-density measurements during real-world activities. This work directly supports her research on brain function during daily movements and clinical applications.
