The mission of the Area of Neuroscience and Engineering is to develop and apply novel technologies for monitoring and understanding the brain and nervous system in both experimental and clinical neurosciences, as well as to develop neural prostheses based on the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying visual cognition. Interdisciplinary education and training are provided to our students.

       Currently, the program has 11 faculty members, including Professors Xinyu Chai, Nin Lan, Peiji Liang, Shanbao Tong, Associate Professors Junfeng Sun, Yao Li, Jinhai Niu, Yihong Qiu, and Puming Zhang, and Instructors Xiaoli Guo and Xiaohong Sui. The major research directions of the Area include retinal neural information processing, visual prosthesis, higher cognitive functions in visual cortices, neural mechanism of epilepsy, neurovascular imaging techniques and instrumentation, reorganization and plasticity of brain network following stroke, amputation or mental disorders, and optical imaging techniques.

       The PIs of the Neuroscience and Engineering Area have a wide range of national and international collaborations with hospitals, industry and other universities, including Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Ruijin Hospital, Renji Hospital, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Drexel University. During the last five years, the PIs have obtained more than 20 national research grants and published over 100 SCI papers.

       The PIs of the Area have served as Associate Editors for a number of national/international scientific journals such as IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, and Acta Biophysica Sinica. The PIs have also served as council/board members of national/international academic societies such as IEEE EMBS Technical Committee on Neural Engineering, Chinese Society of Neural Engineering, Chinese Society of Neurosciences, Chinese Society of Biophysics, and IEEE EMBS Shanghai chapter, etc.