Nile Wilson is a fourth-year doctoral student in the University of Washington’s (UW) bioengineering department, co-advised by Dr. Rajesh Rao in computer science and engineering, and Dr. Jeffrey Ojemann in neurosurgery.
Wilson’s primary interest is neuroengineering, specifically in systems that allow communication between the human brain and technology for therapeutic and assistive purposes. Such systems have the potential to greatly impact the lives of people with various sensorimotor neural conditions, including epilepsy and spinal cord injuries.
Wilson’s research aims to improve mobility, independence and quality of life for individuals with sensorimotor disabilities through developing more effective Brain-Computer Interfaces, based on improving our understanding of the human brain and building better decoder algorithms as a result.
An ARCS Fellowship funded by WRF helped to bring Wilson to UW for graduate school after she completed her bachelor’s in biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia. A later WRF Innovation Graduate Fellowship has helped her meet the financial demands of gaining her doctorate.
Wilson devotes her remaining time to mentoring other students and engaging with the public through outreach events hosted by UW, The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and Pacific Science Center.
Photo courtesy of Nile Wilson