This award funded establishment of the Mathematics for Engineering Applications (MEA) research laboratory led by Dr. Oleksandr Makeyev at Din? College back in September 2016. Over the course of the award MEA lab produced 5 journal papers in peer-reviewed journals with good impact factors as well as 4 conference proceedings papers and 4 abstracts and posters. This included seven of Dr. Makeyev?s undergraduate research assistants becoming co-authors on publications including journal papers. Four of them traveled to present their research at national conferences and/or regional research competitions. Finally, support from this award made possible preparation and submission of two patent applications that became the first ones not only for Din? College but, to the best of Dr. Makeyev?s knowledge, for any tribal college or university.

The major goal of this research project was to improve the accuracy of noninvasive seizure onset detection helping the clinicians (neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-psychiatrists, etc) diagnose epilepsy patients with faster and more accurate non-invasive seizure onset detection tool. Toward this goal feasibility of automatic detection of high-frequency oscillations with accuracy up to 100% has been demonstrated in human Laplacian electroencephalogram via tripolar concentric ring electrodes using exponentially embedded family. This result combines successful application of a cutting edge detector (hypothesis testing with integration of multiple electrodes using an exponentially embedded family) to a novel biomarker of epileptogenicity and epileptogenesis (high-frequency oscillations) that is very difficult to detect in conventional electroencephalogram signal via disc electrodes but can be detected in Laplacian electroencephalogram signal via noninvasive concentric ring electrodes. Since high-frequency oscillations have been shown to precede seizure onset as well as predict epileptogenic zones, approach proposed and validated on adult human epilepsy patient data as a part of this research project holds promise for a better seizure onset detector and, therefore, improved diagnostic value of electroencephalogram signal.

MEA lab?s intellectual merit of contributing to advancing post-secondary student learning goes beyond paid research assistantships that provide undergraduates with cutting edge research experience. MEA lab also provides mathematics tutoring to current Din? College students and promotes engineering discipline to prospective ones via participation in biannual STEM festivals. During these festivals MEA lab members introduce visiting middle- and high-school students to electric circuits by building models of water and light sensors (with middle-schoolers) or modeling renewable energy power plants (with high-schoolers).

Broader impacts of MEA lab go beyond adding a strong publication record to the School of STEM. Over the course of this award MEA lab became a primary research hub of Din? College and successfully secured additional external funding to continue pursuing its long-term goals.

Last Modified: 12/16/2020
Modified by: Oleksandr Makeyev