Jorge Riera, Ph.D., associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Florida International University, has been elected to join the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. In this election, Riera is being recognized for his outstanding contributions in advancing the technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging in combination with electroencephalogram (EEG-fMRI). Riera’s work and research interests focus on the use of biophysical models and experimental techniques to understand the neurophysiological basis of imaging modalities to study the brain, facilitating their integration and interpretation.
The election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is a formal acknowledgement for professionals who have made significant contributions to medical and biological engineering in academia, industry, government, and education. The AIMBE College of Fellows comprises more than 2,700 inductees around the world.
Riera is considered among the pioneers introducing the EEG-fMRI concurrent technique in the 2000s. To do so, he has conducted extensive research in the following areas: brain microcircuits, neurovascular/metabolic coupling, and EEG-fMRI inverse solution methods. To progress research in these areas, Riera performs multiscale recording in different species (e.g., rodents, NHP and humans).
Finally, Riera has also contributed with fMRI methods for the understanding of brain mechanisms underlying language comprehension and speech production. His MRI methods have been used for the detection of apoptotic cells in cerebral ischemia and the evaluation of neural precursor cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury.