Dr. Bing Brunton is the WRF Innovation Assistant Professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Neuroengineering (UWIN). She is jointly appointed by UW’s biology department.
Brunton’s research focuses on the intersection of neuroscience and data science—primarily, the ways in which computer models can be used to analyze how large networks of neurons and the electrical signals they use to communicate can give rise to sensation, action, decisions and emotions. Brunton takes vast quantities of data from human and animal brain activity and analyzes it for coherent patterns, looking for correspondences between these patterns and behavior. From this, she builds mathematical models to understand brain function and aims to develop programmatic approaches to intervene during brain dysfunction.
Following her bachelor’s degree in biology from Caltech, Brunton completed her Ph.D. at Princeton. UWIN was able to hire Brunton as part of a $7.19 million grant pledged by WRF to the Institute in 2014, allowing Brunton to make the transition from postdoctoral researcher to faculty and set up a research group in the process.
Brunton was awarded a Sloan Fellowship, which honors “early-career scientists whose achievements and potential identify them as rising stars,” in 2016.