Optogenetic methods for precise control of neuromodulation

Rachael Richardson, BIONICS Lab Melbourne

Where: Georges-Köhler-Allee 201 (IMBIT), Seminar Room 42
When: Monday 7th September 2026, 3:00 PM

Abstract: Neuromodulation is widely accepted as a treatment for chronic conditions including severe pain, movement disorders, psychiatric illnesses, as well as restoration of hearing or vision. Electrical pulses are applied to a specific neuronal population to alter their activity, aiming to relieve symptoms or restore function. However, the spread of electrical current can lead to off-target activation with undesired consequences. Clinically, these side-effects can be avoided by limiting the current level or, in the case of the cochlear implant, using interleaved stimulation, but this can come at the expense of reducing the overall efficacy of the treatment. Optogenetics allows highly selective neuromodulation by genetically targeting light-sensitive ion channels to neuronal subpopulations. Furthermore, light can be easily confined to increase the spatial precision of neuromodulation. However, desensitization and heat generation during repetitive stimulation represent significant barriers. Our research program investigates the combination of low-power light and electrical stimulation to reduce the overall levels of light and current in the stimulus, improve the neuronal response reliability compared to optical-only stimulation while maintaining highly targeted activation. Combined (hybrid) optogenetic and electrical stimulation has been explored in the auditory and visual systems for sensory restoration, the peripheral nervous system for chronic pain, and the central nervous system for Parkinson’s disease.

Bio: Rachael completed a PhD in cancer and hematology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. In 2001, Rachael began working with Prof Graeme Clark at the Bionic Ear Institute in the areas of hearing therapeutics, gene therapy and cochlear implants. She is now a principal research fellow and professor at the Bionics Institute, and deputy head of the Medical Bionics Department at the University of Melbourne. Her main goal is to develop innovative strategies to improve precision of neural modulation, including optogenetic-based approaches for the cochlear implant, bionic eye and other neurological conditions of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Host: Patrick Ruther, Microsystem Materials Laboratory, IMTEK