Advancing Neuromodulation Therapies
In her new office at UT Southwestern, Cecile Verbaarschot, Ph.D., sits among unpacked boxes and discusses the intricacies of a brain-computer interface she is developing. The device is designed to restore the sense of touch and movement to patients paralyzed from the neck down. Dr. Verbaarschot, Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, came to Dallas and UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute (OBI) in the summer of 2025 to continue her next-level neuromodulation research because “all the pieces of the puzzle are here – the science, the technology, and the expertise,” she said. “And by working with patients, we can make the biggest impact.”
Dr. Verbaarschot is one of many OBI faculty members focused on neuromodulation therapies. Her work integrates computational science, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology to study the mechanisms of touch and movement. In a clinical trial, she will work with neurosurgery colleagues to employ small brain implants to record and stimulate brain signals. By studying and manipulating intracortical brain stimulation, Dr. Verbaarschot’s research could one day lead to the restoration of sensation and mobility to amputees and paralyzed patients.
Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., Chair and Professor of Neurological Surgery at UTSW, is also one of the leading minds exploring neuromodulation. He is currently co-leading a multidisciplinary team that was awarded a multimillion-dollar grant to develop therapies for diseases that affect the cerebellum, such as ataxia and movement disorders. The first phase of the research will use advanced brain-mapping techniques to define the best targets for brain stimulation for cerebellar disease, he said.
Along with Dr. Pouratian, Bhavya Shah, M.D., Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, is pushing the boundaries of treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases with a technique called high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU. This image-guided therapy uses powerful ultrasound beams to pinpoint and ablate areas in the brain that are related to tremors and related movement disorders.