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Suthana Lab

The Suthana Lab at Duke records from the human brain during real behavior. The lab combines intracranial recordings from implanted electrodes with wearable sensors and VR/AR environments, and uses what it learns to build closed-loop neuromodulation therapies for conditions like PTSD.

I'm a Clinical Researcher in the lab wearing many hats.

Engineering

I own the recording stack end to end, from electrode to analysis-ready dataset.

  • Intracranial acquisition. Record intracranial EEG and single-unit activity from Ad-Tech Behnke-Fried and PMT Microburst depth electrodes on Ripple and Blackrock systems, while participants run computer, VR, and AR tasks.
  • Chronic and ambulatory recordings. Collect data from patients with implanted NeuroPace RNS and Medtronic Percept DBS devices alongside peripheral physiology (ECG, EDA, PPG) and behavior.
  • Synchronization and harmonization. Build Python and MATLAB pipelines from scratch (MNE, custom tooling) that time-lock neural, physiological, and task streams and bring heterogeneous device formats into one analysis-ready representation.
  • Live troubleshooting. Debug and optimize acquisition hardware and software across the full stack, including resolving failures mid-session.

Research

I run studies independently, from protocol design through analysis and writing.

  • Experiment design. Lead the design of PTSD and other psychiatric studies, iterating on task and environment with the lab's VR/AR artists in Unity and Unreal.
  • Protocol execution. Independently run human intracranial protocols from participant setup through data collection and analysis.
  • Analysis and writing. Develop neural signal processing and behavioral analyses, write papers, and draft grant submissions with co-PIs.

Clinical

I work directly with patients and with the regulatory process that makes implanted-device research possible.

  • Patient participation. Obtain informed consent, coordinate operating-room logistics, and run experimental procedures in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU).
  • Intraoperative work. Make real-time decisions in the OR during electrode implantation and recording.
  • Regulatory. Supported the FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) for the lab's PTSD neuromodulation trial and authored a Q-Submission for Non-Significant Risk determination under 21 CFR 812. Handle IRB submissions and amendments.