Prof. Chestek was nominated for her research, which focuses on advancing brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) and nerve-machine interfaces to improve motor control and prosthetic technologies.
Cindy Chestek, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Neurosurgery, has received Michigan Engineering’s 2026 Wise-Najafi Prize for Engineering Excellence in the Miniature World, which recognizes outstanding research at the meso-scale, micron-scale, nanoscale, and beyond.
Prof. Chestek was nominated for her research, which focuses on advancing brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) and nerve-machine interfaces to improve motor control and prosthetic technologies. Her work with BMIs has achieved groundbreaking performance, including real-time decoding of finger movements using optimized algorithms and neural networks, which holds promise for clinical adoption.
In addition, Prof. Chestek’s innovative Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) technique has demonstrated stable, long-term signal acquisition for controlling advanced prosthetics, addressing long-standing challenges in the field. Her lab has also pioneered low-power neural interfaces, enabling efficient, implantable devices with significant power savings, and contributed to the development of open-source medical technologies.
Dr. Chestek has significantly improved minimally invasive carbon fiber electrode arrays that have enabled high-yield neural recordings across various applications, fostering collaboration and advancing the understanding of neural systems. Each carbon fiber is similar in size to an individual capillary. These flexible interfaces minimize damage to health tissue, promoting longevity. These are all part of Dr. Chestek’s comprehensive research program that spans physical interfaces, transmission of signals, signal processing and machine learning to interpret signals, and clinical translation – a combination that maximizes impact.
An anonymous alumnus of U-M and his spouse (who also attended U-M) have generously provided a gift to endow the Wise-Najafi Prize for Engineering Excellence in the Miniature World.
The donors established this award in recognition of U-M College of Engineering Professors Kensall D. Wise and Khalil Najafi and their pioneering work in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) over many decades. The award also recognizes them as exceptional teachers of an entire generation of engineering scholars.
The Wise-Najafi Prize for Engineering Excellence in the Miniature World recognizes and incentivizes outstanding research and scholarship related to engineering at the meso-scale, micron-scale, nano-scale and beyond. Faculty from across campus who have shown exceptional creativity in the science and engineering of miniaturization are eligible for consideration of this distinguished prize.The Wise-Najafi Prize for Engineering Excellence in the Miniature World will recognize and incentivize outstanding research and scholarship related to engineering at the meso-scale, micron-scale, nano-scale and beyond.