Clinical-grade research, in the real world

As a postdoctoral researcher at the Clifford Lab at Emory University, my research focuses on developing novel AI-driven methods and sensing technologies to address critical challenges in healthcare, particularly for neurological and developmental disorders. My interdisciplinary approach combines expertise in artificial intelligence, biomedical sensing, and signal processing to create tools that can improve patient outcomes through early detection and personalized interventions. Working with the Cognitive Empowerment Program and the Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, I develop methods to identify cognitive markers in older adults at risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment using multimodal data from wearable technologies, including NextSense in-ear EEG devices and wristband health monitors.

Daniel Ehrens is a biomedical engineer and neuroscientist with over 12 years of experience in epilepsy research, early seizure detection, and closed-loop systems for brain-state modulation using both invasive and noninvasive stimulation techniques. His work integrates advanced signal processing, multimodal EEG/ECG analytics, and machine learning with a focus on brain–body dynamics, dynamical systems, neuromodulation, and consciousness. He has contributed to secure AI-driven healthcare platforms and to signal and algorithmic development at NextSense in areas such as sleep enhancement, state and event detection, and seizure forecasting. His mission is to design innovative technologies that restore balance, homeostasis, and human well-being.

Prabhjyot Saini is a PhD candidate in Human Genetics at McGill University studying gene regulation in neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s). His dissertation applies integrative multi‑omics to map genetic complexity and therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases. Alongside his PhD, Prabhjyot advances sleep research on pathological sleepiness in hypersomnia, targeting GABA‑A allosteric modulators at Emory University in the Department of Neurology with Dr. David Rye where he continues that clinic‑to‑bench‑to‑bedside translational program. Grounded in patient care, he integrates neurology, genetics, and informatics to refine phenotyping, uncover mechanisms, and accelerate prevention, diagnosis, and therapy development across sleep‑wake disorders. Publications include Annals of Neurology, Science Translational Medicine, and Nature Communications. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Science in Public Health from Emory University.

Dr. Phyllis Zee is a world-renowned sleep and circadian rhythm expert, serving as the Director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine and Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Her extensive research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms of circadian clocks and their implications for cardiometabolic and neurological disorders, with her laboratory also investigating novel sleep-based interventions like light and exercise for improving cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic health. Dr. Zee is the founder of the first clinical practice in the U.S. dedicated to circadian rhythm disorders, and holds leadership positions in major sleep research organizations, including being the current President-Elect of the World Sleep Society.

Lynn Marie Trotti, MD, MSc, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine and the newly appointed Director of the Emory Sleep Center. She is a nationally recognized expert in sleep medicine, specializing in hypersomnia, narcolepsy, and the interaction between sleep and neurologic conditions like Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome. Her work, supported by the NIH, focuses on advancing understanding and treatments for central nervous system sleep disorders.

Dr. David Rye is a tenured Professor of Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, an expert in sleep disorders including idiopathic hypersomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. He holds both an MD and PhD, is a leading clinician and researcher, and has received numerous awards for his contributions, including the Hypersomnia Foundation's first Impact Award. His research focuses on the brain mechanisms and genetics of sleep/wake states, and he is known for his work on dopaminergic networks and the identification of genetic variants associated with restless legs syndrome.