• Research Project Title: Neuromodulation for motor recovery in children
• Education Level: Master (research-based)
• Director/Co-Director
  • Director: Marco Bonizzato
  • Co-director(s): Alexander Weil, MD, Professeur Dép. Chirurgie U. Montréal, CHU Ste-Justine
• End Of Display: July 16, 2025
• Areas Of Expertise
  • Electrical and electronic engineering
  • Medical sciences
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Biomedical technology
• Unit(S) And Department(S)
  • Department of Electrical Engineering
  • CHU Sainte-Justine

Conditions

The objective of the sciNeurotech Lab is to provide the cornerstone demonstrations for the next generation of intelligent neurostimulation technology for movement rehabilitation.

This project is the first step of an ambitious collaboration between our Lab at PolyMtl / U. Montréal  and Dr Alex Weil, neurosurgeon at CHU Ste-Justine and professor at U. Montréal.

We develop new neurostimulation therapies, aiming at restoring sensorimotor function after neurotrauma, translationally from discovery in rodent to application in human medical technology, tailored and personalized to each user by artificial intelligence.

This project is open to medicine and engineering students, as well as students in neuroscience, rehabilitation or related disciplines.

Engineers are required to have strong Python or Matlab coding skills, experience in data science / ML / AI or in neurotechnology. Students in medicine, neuroscientists and related fields must come with experience in neuromodulaiton, system neuroscience or rehabilitation. Coding is a strong asset.

To apply, please send us CV and grades. Send to marco.bonizzato institutional email @polymtl.ca 

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We are committed in training students and postdocs with interdisciplinary backgrounds, biomedical and control engineering, to neuroscience and neurosurgery, to medical technology and AI. This pluralism makes the sciNeurotech Lab a unique environment, characterized by rare intervention models, a strong orientation to discovery and collaboration.

We are convinced that a strong, diverse, and interdisciplinary team is the ultimate enabling factor to help each member achieve their very own education goal, whether that involves a future as a professor, a medtech/AI industry leader or an entrepreneur. We are committed to offer you tailored mentorship for your career choice.

Montréal is one of the 10 best cities in the World for students! QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2022 | Top Universities

Detailed Description

• You will develop implantable neuromodulation interventions to improve movement in children with motor weakness or paralysis.
• We  use neuromodulation devices to deliver distributed stimulation of the neural movement control networks.
• These technique can improve transmission of motor commands between the brain and the muscles, improving the life of patients.

This project will allow you to develop multiple cutting-edge neurotechnology skills:

• recording and decoding biopotentials
• develop and deliver the most advanced neuromodulation interventions
• study movement kinematics using advanced technological platforms
• discover and implement new neuroprosthetic technology.

What science should you expect? Check out some of our previous publications: 

• Alexander G Weil – ‪Google Scholar
• ‪Marco Bonizzato – ‪Google Scholar

Financing Possibility

The positions are fully funded with a guaranteed bursary of 22,000$ (MSc). Exceptional PhD candidates are also considered (27 000$ base bursary).

Tuition fees, PolyMtl: Study Costs and Financial Aid | DESS, Master’s, PhD (polymtl.ca). In brief, tuitions are 3,500 to 3,900$ per year for Québec, French and Belgian francophone students at MSc and PhD, and for international non-francophone students at the PhD level only having an exemption (see next paragraph). International non-francophone MSc level tuition is instead much higher. Our lab cannot consider compensating for these tuition fees.

Tuition fees, U. Montréal: Coûts des études – Bureau du registraire – Université de Montréal (umontreal.ca). (Similar to what described above for PolyMtl).

Tuition fee exemptions: Polytechnique Montréal offers international students registered in a doctoral program an exemption from differential tuition fees. With this scolarship the student ends up paying the same amount of tuition fees as Québec’s students. Maintaining this scolarship after the first year requires successfully completing at least 9 credits of courses (at Polytechnique or at a Québec university) during the first year, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0/4.0.

Université de Montréal aalso has an exemption program: Bourse d’exemption UdeM pour étudiants internationaux – Bureau du registraire – Université de Montréal (umontreal.ca)

We offer extensive support for you to obtain your own bursaries. Students rewarded with competitive bursaries receive a bonus to further increase their salary.