Elisa Castagnola, PhD
Dr. Castagnola received her PhD (“Carbon nanotube based coatings for low impedance neural microelectrodes”) in Robotics, Neurosciences and Nanotechnologies at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), in April 2011.
For the next years prior to moving to US, she continued to conduct her postdoctorate research on neurotechnologies at IIT, Departments of Robotics Brain and cognitive Sciences and Center for Translational Neurophysiology for Speech and Communication.
Prior to coming to Pitt, Castagnola was a senior postdoctoral researcher in bioengineering at the Center for Neurotechnology (NSF-ERC) and an adjunct assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University.
For the last 10 years, Castagnola’s work focused on combining research in material science and new microfabrication techniques for the development of innovative neurotechnology, advancing state-of-the-art implantable neural devices and bringing them to a clinical setting.
Castagnola is now conducting research with Dr. Tracy Cui, professor of Bioengineering, in the NTE Lab. She is currently working on the development and in-vivo validation of innovative neural probes with superior capability in neurochemical and neurophysiological recordings. Her main interests are in material science, electrochemistry, neurochemistry and microfabrication.