A $3.5 Million Effort to Secure the Next Generation of Neural Implants and Brain-Controlled Interfaces
November 20th, 2025
A multidisciplinary team led by Northeastern University has been awarded a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to improve the security and reliability of neural and medical implants, a vital step in protecting patients from cyber-physical threats. The project, titled "SCC-LSR: From Technology to Humans: Protecting Users of Neural and Medical Implant Technologies Through Resilience and Safety Engineering," is more than a technical exercise; it's a mission to ensure patients can have complete confidence in the technology that is literally inside their bodies. Devices like deep brain and spinal cord stimulators have revolutionized the treatment of neurological conditions, but their increasing connectivity also presents new vulnerabilities. This research seeks to make these life-altering technologies not just effective, but fundamentally resilient to cyber-physical threats.
Leading the charge is ECE Professor Kevin Fu, who emphasizes the project's human-centered approach. "This initiative is about ensuring patients have confidence in the cybersecurity of emerging neural implants," said Fu. "As neural implants become more prevalent and software controlled, we need systems that are resilient by design—not just secure in theory or by hope. This work will lay the foundation for trustworthy neural interfaces that support human health and dignity."
The research brings together a powerful coalition of experts from a wide range of fields, including bioengineering, neurosurgery, and computer science, from institutions such as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. This collaborative spirit extends beyond academia to include patients, caregivers, clinicians, and leading industry partners like Medtronic, ensuring the solutions developed are practical and aligned with real-world needs.
The team's work will focus on three key areas:
Real-time threat detection: Developing intelligent control systems that can identify and neutralize malicious interference in real time.
On-chip security: Creating low-power, on-chip intrusion detection systems that monitor for threats from within the device itself.
Robust testing: Building simulated test environments to evaluate device vulnerabilities and improve design robustness before they reach patients.
This NSF grant, awarded through the Smart and Connected Communities program, underscores the national importance of securing biomedical technologies. The project positions Northeastern and its partners to be at the forefront of a movement to ensure that as technology advances, patient safety remains the highest priority.
