Evangelia Micheli-Tzanakou

Biography

Born:

Died: 25 September 2012

Dr. Micheli-Tzanakou, a Professor and Director of the Computational Intelligence Laboratories in Rutgers University´s Department of Biomedical Engineering, received international attention in 1974 when she established the first Brain to Computer Interface (BCI), using her algorithm ALOPEX. This method has been used in the study of Parkinson´s Disease; ALOPEX has also been applied toward a number of other problems, including signal processing, image processing, and pattern recognition.

Dr. Micheli-Tzanakou graduated with a B.S. in physics from the National University of Athens, Greece in 1969, after which she moved to the U.S., where she obtained her Master´s and PhD, also in physics, from Syracuse University in 1974 and 1977 respectively. She has had a number of instrumental roles in both teaching and research at Rutgers University. In her ten years as chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department, she established the department´s undergraduate curriculum, and received the Outstanding Advisor Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1985. Throughout her career, she has published widely on topics such as neural networks in biology and medicine; visual and auditory systems; modeling of neurological disorders; and telesurgery. She has received a number of awards and recognitions, including Sigma Xi, Who´s Who of American Men and Women in Science, and Fellow of The Academy of Medicine of New Jersey. Also a IEEE Fellow, she has been involved with the organization in numerous capacities, including serving as the President of its Neural Networks Society. Dr. Micheli-Tzanakou is also committed to advocating for women in the sciences, serving on the Science Advisory Group, Douglass Project for Rutgers Women in Math, Science and Engineering.