Peter A. Tass

Peter A. Tass is a Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University's School of Medicine, where he leads the Tass Lab within the Department of Neurosurgery. His research focuses on developing groundbreaking neuromodulation techniques designed to impact the course of neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease, stroke, epilepsy, and tinnitus. The Tass Lab is part of several prestigious Stanford initiatives including Bio-X, the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

• MD from Universities of Ulm and Heidelberg, Germany (1989)
• PhD in Physics from University of Stuttgart, Germany (1993)
• Diploma (master's degree) in Mathematics from University of Stuttgart, Germany (1993)
• Habilitation thesis in Physiology from RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany (2001)

Dr. Tass's primary research interests center around computational neuroscience approaches to understanding and treating neurological disorders. His lab pioneers neuromodulation techniques based on thorough computational modeling that employs dynamic self-organization, plasticity, and other neuromodulation principles to produce sustained therapeutic effects after stimulation. He specifically focuses on developing stimulation methods that cause sustained neural desynchronization by unlearning abnormal synaptic interactions. His work spans both invasive techniques like deep brain stimulation and non-invasive approaches such as vibrotactile and acoustic stimulation. Current projects involve developing novel therapies for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, tinnitus, and other neurological conditions using comprehensive computational neuroscience methods derived from non-linear dynamics, statistical physics, and numerics.

Analysis of Dr. Tass's recent publications reveals a strong focus on coordinated reset stimulation techniques, neural network modeling with plasticity mechanisms, and computational approaches to brain stimulation. His work consistently bridges theoretical computational neuroscience with clinical applications, particularly for Parkinson's disease treatment. A significant portion of his recent research examines how stimulation parameters, sequences, and timing affect long-lasting desynchronization effects in neural networks. His publications demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach combining physics, mathematics, neuroscience, and clinical medicine to develop novel therapeutic interventions.

• Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2012)
• Nicolaus August Otto Innovation Prize (2011)
• German Innovation Award in Medicine (2011)
• Rapid Response Innovation Awards from The Michael J. Fox Foundation (2009, 2010)
• Runner-up for the German future prize (2006)
• Erwin Schrödinger prize (2005)
• Fritz Winter prize (2000)

Dr. Tass actively mentors a diverse team of researchers including staff scientists, postdoctoral fellows, clinician-scientists, and students. His lab currently includes researchers with backgrounds in physics, computational neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and clinical neurology. The lab is involved in multiple clinical trials, including studies on coordinated reset spinal cord stimulation and vibrotactile coordinated reset stimulation for Parkinson's disease. His research is supported by various funding sources including foundations focused on neurological disorders and innovation in medical technology. Dr. Tass collaborates extensively with both internal Stanford researchers and external collaborators worldwide.

The Tass Lab at Stanford is a multidisciplinary research group comprising physicists, neuroscientists, engineers, and clinicians working together to develop novel neuromodulation therapies. The lab team includes staff scientists like Justus Kromer (theoretical physicist), postdocs like Daniel Ehrens and Kanishk Chauhan, clinician-scientists like Tina Munjal, and clinical research coordinators. The lab maintains active collaborations with Stanford colleagues across departments including Kwabena Boahen, Vivek P. Buch, and Jaimie Henderson, as well as external collaborators like Alexander Neiman and Kęstutis Pyragas. Current research directions include developing non-invasive vibrotactile treatments for Parkinson's disease, acoustic coordinated reset therapy for tinnitus, and responsive deep brain stimulation for conditions like loss-of-control eating.