Post by Jason Hou

I recently defended my PhD thesis at the MIT Media Lab . It’s been an amazing 5 years building ultrasound device platforms with my advisor Canan Dagdeviren . From implants for neuromodulation to 3D imaging, I introduced several new ultrasound device systems that interface with the nervous system and the human body. Thank you to my committee members Prof. Alan Jasanoff (MIT BCS/BE) and Prof. Brian Anthony (MIT MechE) for their guidance and support and to my many friends and colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Building the whole stack from atoms to bits has been a joy and a journey. Days spent in our own cleanroom, turning over a lithography mask in a day, doing more sketchy HF etches and seeing more exposed laser beams than I should admit, PCBs galore and endless firmware, imaging algorithms, days spent in a headset building XR apps, and cumulative years doing journal revisions. Brains to bits: Neurotech is the next trillion dollar industry. The future interface needs to be safe, model its user, and evolve throughout their lifetime — but we have to move beyond EEG. The holy grail vision? A seamless interface to our brains and bodies will integrate cells and electronics via biohybrids, ultrasound, genetic engineering, and neuromodulation. Perhaps, they will all converge. What next for me? Stay tuned!