Device-Level Intelligence for Adaptive Sensing and Bio-Integrated Systems
Inspired by biological sensory systems, this talk presents our efforts toward neuromorphic sensing, where these functions are integrated within the same device using multifunctional memory technologies.
Overview
Conventional electronic systems separate sensing, memory, and computation into different hardware units, resulting in significant energy consumption and data movement. I will first discuss our work on CMOS-compatible flash memory devices for in-memory sensing, demonstrating reconfigurable devices capable of operating as synapses or neurons while leveraging mature semiconductor platforms. I will then present our contributions to photonic and multimodal neuromorphic sensing, where memristive devices based on emerging materials enable direct processing of optical and environmental stimuli such as light, humidity, and gases within the memory element itself. I will also briefly discuss our exploration of brain-inspired device functionalities that emulate adaptive neural behaviors. Finally, I will introduce our recent efforts toward soft and bio-integrated neuromorphic systems, including microfluidic neuromorphic memories and wearable biopatches that combine sensing, memory, and actuation in soft materials for next-generation adaptive electronics and healthcare technologies. Together, these advances point toward material-level intelligence, where devices can directly sense, process, and respond to environmental information in an energy-efficient manner.
Presenters
Brief Biography
Nazek El-Atab is an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the principal investigator of the Smart, Advanced Memory Devices and Applications (SAMA) Lab. El-Atab joined the University in October 2017, having obtained her B.Sc. in computer and communications engineering in 2012 from Hariri Canadian University, Lebanon, and her M.Sc. in microsystems engineering in 2014 and Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering in 2017 from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE, under a cooperative program with MIT, and funded by the US Office of Naval Research.
At KAUST, El-Atab has worked on several high-impact research projects focusing on designing and fabricating futuristic electronics. Her current research interest focuses on the design and development of smart multifunctional devices including in-memory sensing and computing, 4D printing of actuators with self-sensing capability, among others.
El-Atab is a Senior IEEE Member and currently serves as the Chair of the Western Saudi Arabia IEEE Electron Device Society Chapter. She is an IEEE Electron Devices Society Distinguished Lecturer. She is an associate editor-in-chief at Applied Nanoscience (Springer Nature) and associate editor at the Nano Select by Wiley and Microelectronics Engineering by Elsevier. She has published over 100 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings, authored two book chapters, two books and holds seven filed U.S. patents.
El-Atab has received several significant awards for her research, including the 2015 For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship by L’Oreal-UNESCO, the 2017 International Rising Talents Award by L’Oreal-UNESCO, and was portrayed among the 2019 “Remarkable Women in Technology” by UNESCO. Prof. El-Atab was also selected to participate in the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany, was selected among the 2020 UC Berkeley EECS Rising Stars, among the 10 Innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review Arabia in 2020, among the V60 Women in Sustainability by BCG, and as a “NEOM Changemaker” in 2021.
Her research has been extensively covered in various international publications, including IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, BBC, MIT Technology Review, and Sky News Arabia.
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Nazek El-Atab
- Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering