Kwabena Boahen
Professor of Bioengineering and, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering
Bio
Boahen's research interests include mixed-mode multichip VLSI models of biological sensory and perceptual systems, their epigenetic development, and asynchronous digital communication for reconfigurable connectivity.
Academic Appointments
-
Professor, Bioengineering
-
Professor (By courtesy), Electrical Engineering
-
Member, Bio-X
-
Member, Stanford Neurosciences Institute
Honors & Awards
-
NIH Director's Pioneer Award, National Institute of Health (2006)
-
Young Investigator Program, Office of Naval Research (2002-present)
-
Faculty Early Career Program, National Science Foundation (2001-present)
-
Fellowships in Science and Engineering, Packard Foundation (1999-2004)
Professional Education
-
PhD, Caltech (1997)
Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Large-scale models of sensory, perceptual and motor systems
2015-16 Courses
- Biomedical System Prototyping Lab
BIOE 123 (Win) - Large-Scale Neural Modeling
BIOE 332 (Spr) - Neuromorphics: Brains in Silicon
BIOE 313, EE 304 (Spr) -
Independent Studies (12)
- Bioengineering Problems and Experimental Investigation
BIOE 191 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Biomedical Informatics Teaching Methods
BIOMEDIN 290 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Directed Investigation
BIOE 392 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Directed Reading and Research
BIOMEDIN 299 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Directed Reading in Neurosciences
NEPR 299 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Directed Study
BIOE 391 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Graduate Research
NEPR 399 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Medical Scholars Research
BIOMEDIN 370 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Ph.D. Research
CME 400 (Win, Sum) - Special Studies and Reports in Electrical Engineering
EE 391 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Special Studies or Projects in Electrical Engineering
EE 190 (Spr) - Special Studies or Projects in Electrical Engineering
EE 390 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Bioengineering Problems and Experimental Investigation
-
Prior Year Courses
2014-15 Courses
- Neuromorphics: Brains in Silicon
BIOE 313, EE 304 (Spr) - Optics and Devices Lab
BIOE 123 (Win)
2013-14 Courses
- Bioengineering Departmental Research Colloquium
BIOE 393 (Aut) - Diagnostic Devices Lab
BIOE 301C (Spr) - Neuromorphics: Brains in Silicon
EE 304 (Spr)
2012-13 Courses
- Diagnostic Devices Lab
BIOE 301C (Spr) - Large-Scale Neural Modeling
BIOE 332 (Spr)
- Neuromorphics: Brains in Silicon
All Publications
-
Synchrony in silicon: The gamma rhythm
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL NETWORKS
2007; 18 (6): 1815-1825
Abstract
In this paper, we present a network of silicon interneurons that synchronize in the gamma frequency range (20-80 Hz). The gamma rhythm strongly influences neuronal spike timing within many brain regions, potentially playing a crucial role in computation. Yet it has largely been ignored in neuromorphic systems, which use mixed analog and digital circuits to model neurobiology in silicon. Our neurons synchronize by using shunting inhibition (conductance based) with a synaptic rise time. Synaptic rise time promotes synchrony by delaying the effect of inhibition, providing an opportune period for interneurons to spike together. Shunting inhibition, through its voltage dependence, inhibits interneurons that spike out of phase more strongly (delaying the spike further), pushing them into phase (in the next cycle). We characterize the interneuron, which consists of soma (cell body) and synapse circuits, fabricated in a 0.25-microm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). Further, we show that synchronized interneurons (population of 256) spike with a period that is proportional to the synaptic rise time. We use these interneurons to entrain model excitatory principal neurons and to implement a form of object binding.
View details for DOI 10.1109/TNN.2007.900238
View details for Web of Science ID 000250789100019
View details for PubMedID 18051195