Warren M. Grill

Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Our research employs engineering approaches to understand and control neural function. We work on fundamental questions and applied development in electrical stimulation of the nervous system to restore function to individuals with neurological impairment or injury.

Current projects include:
• understanding the mechanisms of and developing advanced approaches to deep brain stimulation to treat movement disorders,
• developing novel approaches to peripheral nerve electrical stimulation for restoration of bladder function, 
• understanding the mechanisms of and developing advanced approaches to spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic pain,
• understanding and controlling the cellular effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation, and
• design of novel electrodes and waveforms for selective stimulation of the nervous system.

Appointments and Affiliations

• Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
• Bass Fellow
• Professor in Neurobiology
• Professor in Neurosurgery
• Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
• Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
• Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact Information

• Office Location: CIEMAS 1139, Durham, NC 27708
• Office Phone: (919) 660-5276
• Email Address: warren.grill@duke.edu
• Websites:
  • Google Scholar
  • Lab Webpage
  • LinkedIn Profile

Education

• Ph.D. Case Western Reserve University, 1995
• M.S. Case Western Reserve University, 1992
• B.S. Boston University, 1989

Research Interests

Neural engineering and neural prostheses and include design and testing of electrodes and stimulation techniques, the electrical properties of tissues and cells, and computational neuroscience with applications in restoration of bladder function, treatment of movement disorders with deep brain stimulation, and treatment of chronic pain.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• Fellow (NAI). National Academy of Inventors. 2022
• Capers & Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research. Pratt School of Engineering. 2018
• Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award. NIH-NINDS . 2015
• Scholar / Teacher of the Year Award. Duke University. 2014
• Outstanding Postdoc Mentor. Duke University. 2013
• Fellow. Biomedical Engineering Society. 2011
• Fellow. American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. 2007

Courses Taught

• BME 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)
• BME 394: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
• BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
• BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
• BME 504: Fundamentals of Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System (EL, GE)
• BME 515: Neural Prosthetic Systems (GE, EL, IM)
• BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
• BME 804: Developments in Neural Engineering
• NEUROBIO 393: Research Independent Study
• NEUROBIO 793: Research in Neurobiology
• NEUROSCI 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)
• NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
• NEUROSCI 504: Fundamentals of Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System (EL, GE)
• NEUROSCI 515: Neural Prosthetic Systems (GE, EL, IM)

In the News

• Three Duke Engineers Elected to National Academy of Inventors (Dec 14, 2022 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Light-Based Deep Brain Stimulation Relieves Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (Apr 28, 2020 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Duke Awards Distinguished Professorships, Inducts New Bass Society Members (May 5, 2016)
• Deep Brain Stimulation as Treatment for Parkinson’s (Nov 10, 2015 | Duke Research Blog)
• Trying a New Pulse for Pain Relief (Nov 1, 2015)
• Biomedical Device students face engineering and business challenges while helping to fill clinical needs (Jul 8, 2015)
• Duke neuroscientist wins $4 million grant to study Parkinson's disease (Jun 26, 2015 | The News & Observer)
• Allen Song Named Interim Director of Brain Institute (Jun 26, 2015)
• Warren Grill on Using Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Parkinson's (Jun 24, 2015)
• DIBS Director Takes New Role at Penn (Jun 16, 2015)
• Warren Grill comments: Brain implant trials raise ethical concerns (Jun 15, 2015 | Science Magazine)
• Nita Farahany Q-and-A: Neuroscience and the law (May 5, 2015 | Bio Edge)

Representative Publications

• Kuo, S-W; Zhang, T; Esteller, R; Grill, WM, In Vivo Measurements Reveal that Both Low- and High-frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Heterogeneously Modulate Superficial Dorsal Horn Neurons., Neuroscience, vol 520 (2023), pp. 119-131 [10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.04.010] [abs].
• Aberra, AS; Lopez, A; Grill, WM; Peterchev, AV, Rapid estimation of cortical neuron activation thresholds by transcranial magnetic stimulation using convolutional neural networks., Neuroimage (2023) [10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120184] [abs].
• Thio, BJ; Grill, WM, Relative Contributions of Different Neural Sources to the EEG., Neuroimage (2023) [10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120179] [abs].
• Davis, CJ; Musselman, ED; Grill, WM; Pelot, NA, Fibers in smaller fascicles have lower activation thresholds with cuff electrodes due to thinner perineurium and smaller cross-sectional area., Journal of Neural Engineering, vol 20 no. 2 (2023) [10.1088/1741-2552/acc42b] [abs].
• Vargas, L; Musselman, ED; Grill, WM; Hu, X, Asynchronous axonal firing patterns evoked via continuous subthreshold kilohertz stimulation., Journal of Neural Engineering, vol 20 no. 2 (2023) [10.1088/1741-2552/acc20f] [abs].

Selected Activities

• Consultant, Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee,Center for Devices and Radiological Health,
• Editorial Board, Journal of Neural Engineering,
• Editorial Board, Brain Stimulation,