Xiangjian (Aaron) Zeng

Aaron Zeng is a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science whose research harnesses closed-loop auditory stimulation to enhance cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow during sleep. CSF performs vital housekeeping functions, clearing metabolic waste from the brain; inadequate circulation is suspected to drive cognitive decline in aging and neurodegenerative disorders. His preliminary findings show that auditory stimuli can drive measurable increases in CSF flow for aging populations, and sleep brain features can be used to predict stimulation effects and guide delivery. To translate this discovery into therapeutic intervention, he develops the closed-loop auditory modulation of sleep system combining real-time signal filtering with machine learning-based phase prediction. He also develops custom interfaces for control and monitoring during overnight sleep experiments. As a MathWorks Fellow, Aaron will refine the timing and control of auditory stimulation to investigate its effects on sleep physiology and cerebrospinal fluid flow in aging populations.