Muhammad Ahmed Khan, PhD

Scientific Researcher: Healthcare System Design & Development

Professional Experience

Scientific Research Scholar (Jan. 2022 – Present)

Stanford University, USA (In Collaboration with Technical University of Denmark)

Leading Interdisciplinary Project: "SmartRehab: Design and development of brain-controlled smart and portable electrical stimulation-based rehabilitation system for upper limb stroke recovery."

Impact-driven health-tech innovator and educator: Proven in health technology research and teaching, with track record of grant-winning ideas translated into market-ready prototypes, and entrepreneurial leadership.

SmartRehab treats the brain–muscle–device loop as an integrated biosystem, developing closed-loop control algorithms and wearable interfaces that restore motor function in stroke patients.

  • Developed a BCI-controlled wireless and portable "SmartRehab" rehabilitation system for upper limb stroke recovery (including stroke patients' EEG data collection, motor imagery EEG classification algorithms, a customized functional electrical stimulation-based rehabilitation prototype with EMG feedback, and a VR environment) (Currently, under patent process)
  • Performed statistical analysis to validate neuroplasticity outcomes, measure BCI classification accuracy, and a BCI power spectrum to support research findings and optimize BCI algorithms
  • Drafted Stanford's IRB protocol for EEG data collection from stroke patients (got approved)
  • Actively involved in the stroke patients' EEG data acquisition at the Stanford Stroke Center
  • Performed a pilot study on stroke patients to determine the efficacy of the developed SmartRehab system (with experimental and control groups)
  • Preparing to launch a "SmartRehab spin-off" to turn my lab-validated neuro-rehabilitation technology into a market-ready product (entrepreneurial mindset and leadership)
  • Awarded collaborative "Stanford HAI Hoffman-Yee Research Grant" for the project "NexGenRehab: Development of Next Generation Robotic Stroke Rehabilitation System with Virtual Reality and BCI Paradigm"
  • Mentored PhD students in developing a compact, wireless, penny-sized EEG device designed for brain-computer interface applications

Technical Head (Jan. 2022 – Present)

Soof Solutions Inc., USA (Stanford-Based "Neurotech-AI in Medicine" Startup Company)

"Give Voice to the Speechless"

https://www.soofsolutions.com/

  • Leading the development of a stroke communication system that facilitates the interaction between the patient and the caregiver team during the hospital stay and at home
  • Involved in drafting the NSF SBIR/STTR grant application, aiming to develop an innovative early stroke detection system

Marie Curie Postdoc Fellow (Dec. 2019 – Dec. 2021)

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Research Group, Digital Health Section, Health Technology Department, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark

Leading Interdisciplinary Project: Developed a stroke rehabilitation system and advanced machine learning algorithms for BCI-based medical applications.

  • Developed an EMG-controlled functional electrical stimulation (FES) rehabilitation system for stroke recovery (Myo-FES device) (Currently, under patent process)
  • Developed machine learning algorithms for EEG feature extraction and classification of different BCI paradigms for stroke patients
  • Collected clinical motor imagery EEG data from stroke patients while performing upper limb rehabilitation (in collaboration with Hammel Neurocenter Denmark)
  • Performed statistical analysis on EEG and clinical data to validate the effectiveness of BCI paradigms and rehabilitation systems
  • Provided teaching assistance and co-supervision in healthcare projects
  • Provided healthcare system development training to master's and PhD students
  • Involved in writing infrastructure research grants for developing the 'Digital Health Lab'
  • Initiated international and national research collaborations (academic and industrial)

Postdoctoral Research Scholar (March. 2019 – Nov. 2019)

Sensing Technologies Laboratory, University of Bolzano, Italy

Leading Interdisciplinary Project: STEX: Developing flexible/stretchable biosensors for smart sensing textile applications.

  • Designed and characterized ceramics, carbon black and carbon nanotube-based bio-inks
  • Developed and characterized textile biosensors for monitoring muscle activities
  • Provided co-supervision in biosensor-related Ph.D. projects
  • Involved in the management of "Biosensing Lab"

PhD Researcher (Nov. 2015 – Feb. 2019)

Biosensor Group - Information Engineering Department, Fraunhofer Institute IKTS, Germany and University of Brescia, Italy

Leading Interdisciplinary Project: Design and development of an autonomous energy harvesting biosensor for knee implant monitoring.

  • Developed a self-powered force-measuring biosensor for continuous monitoring of knee implants. (Hardware: Implantable & external readout unit. Software: LabVIEW-based readout software module)
  • Provided teaching assistance and co-supervision in healthcare projects
  • Initiated international research collaborations with different European research institutes

Research Assistant (Oct. 2014 – Oct. 2015)

Biosensor Group - Information Engineering Department, University of Brescia, Italy

  • Coordinated joint research within the project "Development of FES-based device for foot drop patients"
  • Coordinated joint research within the project 'Development of BCI-based Hybrid EEG-EMG system for controlling robotic arm'
  • Provided assistance in conducting lab sessions for the master's course 'Biosensor Technology'