Draft:Gerald E. Loeb

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Gerald E. Loeb
Born
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation(s)Neurophysiologist, biomedical engineer, academic, and author
Academic background
EducationB.A.
M.D.
Alma materJohns Hopkins University
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Southern California
  • Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article.HRShami (talk) 04:31, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Gerald E. Loeb is an American neurophysiologist, biomedical engineer, academic, and author. He is a professor of Biomedical Engineering, Neurology, and Pharmacy at the University of Southern California.

Loeb's research interests have included neuroprosthetics and neural control techniques, sensorimotor control in mammals, implantable medical devices, and haptics for robots. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Early life and education

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Loeb was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey,[1] and graduated from Manville High School as valedictorian.[2] He completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1969 from Johns Hopkins University, followed by his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1972 from the same institution.[1]

Career

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At the Laboratory of Neural Control of the National Institutes of Health, Leob held multiple appointments, including research associate from 1973 to 1974, medical officer from 1974 to 1979, and permanent senior investigator from 1979 to 1986.[3] In 1991, he was appointed as the director of the Bio-Medical Engineering Unit as well as a professor of Physiology at Queen's University, holding these appointments until 1999. Since then, he has been a professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, where he also directs the medical device development facility. At the same institution, he has also been a professor of Neurology since 2006 and a professor of Pharmacy since 2008.[3]

Since 2008, Loeb has been the founding CEO and member of the Board of Directors at SynTouch. He founded and consulted Chironics as a chief scientist, a role he maintained until 2022.[3]

Research

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Exploring the discharge patterns of hindlimb motor neurons in cats, Loeb observed that decerebrate cats exhibit doublets during locomotion,[4] whereas intact cats exhibit increased firing rates while moving at faster speeds.[5] He and his fellow research associates established a cross-correlation for electromyography application to assess the synchronization of motor unit firing[6] and documented that synchronous firing behavior is independent of muscle spindles.[7]

Loeb has also studied human physiology, determining that repetitive training makes motor movements habitual, resulting in a synergistic framework and increased musculoskeletal stability,[8] as well as demonstrating that these synergistic frameworks are adaptable to changing sensorimotor needs.[9] He also highlighted that express visuomotor reactions are situation-sensitive, thereby reinforcing the notion that top-down cortical inputs regulate subcortical control structures of rapid movement reactions.[10] Additionally, he documented that Intracortical microstimulation of the human visual cortex produced phosphenes.[11]

Loeb developed a biomimetic tactile sensor that detects contact, pressure, and texture via fingertip anatomy and converts these data into appropriate physical representations of external inputs.[12] He also invented a cochlear implant, which facilitated instantaneous stimulation of the auditory cortex without the requirement for carrier modification by using aligned coils to produce a continuous interleaved sampling (CIS)-processed biphasic pulses.[13] Furthermore, he also developed a micro-pacemaker that can be recharged inductively and injected into a developing fetus through an ultrasound procedure.[14]

Awards and honors

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Bibliography

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Books

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  • Loeb, Gerald E.; Gans, Carl (1986). Electromyography for Experimentalists. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226490151.

Selected articles

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Gerald Loeb; Viterbi Faculty Directory". University of Southern California. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  2. ^ "171 Graduate Manville High". The Central New Jersey Home News. June 16, 1965. p. 10. Retrieved July 8, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d "CURRICULUM VITAE – Gerald E. Loeb, M.D." (PDF). University of Southern California. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Bawa, P.; Calancie, B. (1983). "Repetitive doublets in human flexor carpi radialis muscle". The Journal of Physiology. 339: 123–132. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1983.sp014707. PMC 1199152. PMID 6887019.
  5. ^ Pierotti, David J.; Roy, Roland R.; Gregor, Robert J.; Reggie Edgerton, V. (1989). "Electromyographic activity of cat hindlimb flexors and extensors during locomotion at varying speeds and inclines". Brain Research. 481 (1): 57–66. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(89)90485-X. PMID 2706467.
  6. ^ Chung, Wai Man (2015), Kinematic and electromyographic analysis of wheelchair fencing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  7. ^ Kamen, G.; De Luca, C. J. (1992). "Firing rate interactions among human orbicularis oris motor units". The International Journal of Neuroscience. 64 (1–4): 167–175. doi:10.3109/00207459209000542. PMID 1342036.
  8. ^ Lin, Kuo-Chuan; Chang, Chi-Yao; Hung, Min-Hao; Lin, Wei-Ming (2022). "The Positive Effects on Volleyball Receiving Skills When Training with Lighter Balls". Applied Sciences. 12 (19): 9692. doi:10.3390/app12199692.
  9. ^ Wolpaw, Jonathan R.; Kamesar, Adam (2022). "Heksor: the central nervous system substrate of an adaptive behavior". The Journal of Physiology. 600 (15): 3423–3452. doi:10.1113/JP283291. PMC 9545119. PMID 35771667.
  10. ^ Fooken, Jolande; Balalaie, Parsa; Park, Kayne; Flanagan, J. Randall; Scott, Stephen H. (2024). "Rapid eye and hand responses in an interception task are differentially modulated by context-dependent predictability". Journal of Vision. 24 (12): 10. doi:10.1167/jov.24.12.10. PMC 11578145. PMID 39556082.
  11. ^ Flesher, Sharlene N.; Collinger, Jennifer L.; Foldes, Stephen T.; Weiss, Jeffrey M.; Downey, John E.; Tyler-Kabara, Elizabeth C.; Bensmaia, Sliman J.; Schwartz, Andrew B.; Boninger, Michael L.; Gaunt, Robert A. (2016). "Intracortical microstimulation of human somatosensory cortex". Science Translational Medicine. 8 (361): 361ra141. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aaf8083. PMID 27738096.
  12. ^ "Biomimetic tactile sensor". Google Patents. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  13. ^ "Four-Channel cochlear system with a passive, non-hermetically sealed implant". Google Patents. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  14. ^ Young, Wise; Kaplan, Hilton M. (2017). "Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Current Research and Future Possibilities". Rehabilitative Surgery. Springer International Publishing. pp. 357–389. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41406-5_27. ISBN 978-3-319-41404-1.
  15. ^ "Fellow Directory; American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering". Aimbe. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  16. ^ "10 Innovators Who Changed the World in 2013". Popular mechanics. 11 October 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  17. ^ "Technology Pioneers–2014" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  18. ^ "Fellows". Academy of inventors. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  19. ^ "Best Engineering and Technology Scientists". Research.com. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
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