Sam John

Associate Professor Sam John is a distinguished researcher and educator in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne. As Group Leader of the NeuroBionics Lab, he specializes in neural engineering, bionics, and brain-computer interfaces, with expertise in developing next-generation implantable neural prostheses that interface directly with the nervous system. His academic background includes a PhD in Electrical Engineering from La Trobe University in 2013, focused on biomedical and neural engineering, complemented by a Bachelor's degree in Medical Electronics and a Master's in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. John holds honorary research appointments at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, reflecting his interdisciplinary contributions to neuroscience and bionic medicine.

John's career at the University of Melbourne has progressed from lecturer to associate professor, marked by significant advancements in minimally invasive neural technologies. He was a core member of the team that developed the Stentrode, an endovascular stent-electrode array enabling high-fidelity chronic neural recordings, which won the 2019 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Research. Previously, as Lead Software Developer at Synchron Australia, he contributed to commercializing this brain-machine interface for restoring communication and mobility to patients with severe paralysis via thought control. His research has garnered over 2,000 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include "Minimally invasive endovascular stent-electrode array for high-fidelity, chronic recordings of cortical neural activity" (Nature Methods, 2016), "The Ovine Motor Cortex: A Review of Functional Mapping and Microstimulation" (Brain Sciences, 2017), and "Vascular remodeling in sheep implanted with endovascular neural interfaces" (Journal of Neural Engineering, 2022). John's innovations continue to shape the future of neural prosthetics and bioelectronic medicine.

Professional Email: sam.john@unimelb.edu.au