Dr. Ilknur Telkes Receives the CNS 2025 Ronald R. Tasker Young Investigator Award!

We are excited to announce that Dr. Ilknur Telkes has been awarded the 2025 Ronald R. Tasker Young Investigator Award by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). This prestigious award is given to the highest-ranked abstract submitted at the CNS Annual Meeting that focuses on pain research. It recognizes the exceptional contributions of early-career researchers in the fields of neurosurgery and pain.

Telkes Lab is Ready for an Exciting Semester!

Telkes Lab is ready to dive into a new semester of innovative research in neural engineering and pain neuroscience. With ongoing projects and new team members on board, we’re excited to push the boundaries of science and share our discoveries with the community. Stay tuned for updates on our work!

Our Research Featured in Pain Medicine News!

We are excited to announce that our recent study on EEG biomarkers for distinguishing between responders and non-responders to spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been featured in “Pain Medicine News”. This recognition underscores the potential impact of our research in advancing precision medicine approaches for managing chronic pain. By identifying objective neural signatures linked to treatment response, our work seeks to enhance patient selection, personalize neuromodulation therapies, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes for individuals receiving SCS.

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Celebrating Our Latest Achievement!

Dr. Telkes and her team have received the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC) New Investigator Award — a $225K, 3-year grant to advance their groundbreaking work in Chronic Pain Assessment for Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease!

Telkes Lab at NANS 2025: Another Successful Year!

We had a fantastic time at the NANS 2025 Annual Meeting, sharing our latest research and reconnecting with colleagues!

1. We presented our recent study on the utility of predictive machine learning models trained on EEG features for spinal cord stimulation, as part of the Ultrasound for Neuromodulation session.
2. We also showcased our work using cluster analysis to identify subgroups of chronic pain patients based on their preoperative EEG signatures, providing insights into individual differences before spinal cord stimulation surgery.
3. Congratulations to Ayden Dunn (Class of 2027, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University) for receiving one of the NANS 2025 Early Career Travel Fellowship Grants. It’s an honor to mentor the next generation of neuromodulation researchers!
4. Following the NANS Kumar Young Investigator Award in 2023, I’m deeply honored to be recognized again this year with the NANS 2025 Rising Star Early Career Award. I’m humbled and truly grateful for this recognition.

Beyond the science, it was a joy to connect with colleagues, collaborators, mentors, and trainees, engaging in inspiring conversations that will shape the future of neuromodulation. Looking forward to another exciting and productive year ahead. See you all at NANS 2026 in Las Vegas!

Congratulations to the Telkes Lab on Securing a Prestigious Grant!

Thrilled to share exciting news from the Telkes Lab! We’ve been awarded a major grant to advance research at the intersection of Chronic Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation, and Wearable Technology. This project is funded by the University of Arizona FY25 Eighteenth Mile TRIF and has secured $199,060 in support. We’re eager to push the boundaries of innovation in this vital area and look forward to the meaningful impact our work will have on the future of neuromodulation and patient care.

Exciting News Alert About Telkes Lab!

We’re excited to share that our lab has officially relocated to the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson!

Stay tuned for updates on our latest projects and new adventures as we continue pushing the boundaries of science and innovation. The future is bright, and we’re thrilled to have you along for the journey!

NANS Annual Meeting 2024

We had a very successful NANS 2024 Conference this year! TelkesLab presented four oral abstracts on chronic pain biomarkers and machine learning.

Kudos to our outstanding students: Tomas Swickley, Stacey Tevelev, Jay Gopal, Krishna Sandeep Kumar Vanga, and Harshal Sanghvi, Ph.D., for their excellent work and presentations. Many thanks to Julie Pilitsis, Marisa Valletta, our collaborators, the conference organizers, and abstract reviewers for their support and contributions. Looking forward to seeing everyone next year at NANS 2025!

ASRA President’s Choice Abstract 2023

We’re excited to share that our study was selected as a President’s Choice Highlighted Abstract at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (ASRA) and Pain Medicine!

Our study, titled “A Prospective Evaluation of Selectivity in a High-Resolution Spinal Cord Stimulation Paddle” (Abstract #4928) by Deepak Berwal, Alejandra Quintero, Ilknur Telkes, Marisa DiMarzio, Tessa Harland, Steven Paniccioli, Yohannes Iyassu, John Dalfino, Bryan McLaughlin, and Julie Pilitsis, was presented at the ASRA and Pain Medicine Annual Meeting held on November 10–11, 2023, in New Orleans, LA. We are honored by this recognition and grateful to all collaborators and contributors.

Investigation of Brain Signals for Better Understanding Chronic Pain in Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease

Congratulations to the research team on the Alzheimer’s disease project! Today, we welcomed our first participant and successfully recorded our first multi-modality dataset. Chronic pain often goes untreated in individuals with AD, largely because of their limited ability to communicate pain verbally. Our study aims to address this gap by combining Wearable EEG and Eye-Tracking Technology to develop objective tools for chronic pain assessment, ultimately working toward improving the quality of life for people living with AD.

FAU Neuroscience Seminar Series (Fall 2023)

I had the privilege of hosting Dr. Nuri Ince, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic Rochester, as a guest speaker for the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute Neuroscience Seminar Series. Dr. Ince delivered an engaging and insightful talk on the Identification of Neurobiomarkers for Optimizing Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s disease, highlighting innovative approaches to improving therapeutic outcomes for patients.

Presenting at CNS Annual Meeting 2023

Jay Gopal, an affiliate of Telkes Lab, presented his study titled “Comparison of Intraoperative Neural Changes during Tonic vs. High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation in Chronic Pain Patients” at the 2023 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. This important work advances our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying Chronic Pain and sheds light on how different modes of Spinal Cord Stimulation modulate brain activity.

Top Pain Paper of the Year Award 2023

Our paper, entitled “High-Resolution Spinal Motor Mapping Using Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients with Chronic Pain,” was honored as the 2023 Top Pain Paper of the Year by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). I had the privilege of presenting this work at the 2023 CNS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2023, during the Section on Pain Session.

Winning the COECS/I-SENSE Seed Funding Competition

Our proposal, titled “Feasibility of Objective Pain Assessment Using Multimodal Sensing Signals in Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease,” was selected for the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science and I-SENSE Joint Seed Funding. Chronic pain often goes untreated in this population due to the lack of precise measurement tools, which currently rely primarily on self-reported assessments. Through this study, we aim to explore the functional use of multimodal sensing signals to develop objective measures of pain in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

FAU Health Network Features Our PD Research

Did you know that Parkinson’s Disease Affects 1 in 500 People? It’s time to rewrite the narrative of Parkinson’s care! At the FAU Health Network, we’re on a mission to drive innovation and discover a cure. Meet Dr. Ilknur Telkes, an exceptional engineer-scientist at the FAU College of Medicine, who is leading cutting-edge research in Parkinson’s disease and Deep Brain Stimulation. Her work focuses on optimizing treatment strategies and developing Personalized Therapies for Tremor Management. Here’s to visionary researchers like Dr. Telkes who are shaping the future of Parkinson’s treatment and transforming lives!

Telkes Lab Opens its Doors

Telkes Lab is officially opening its doors today! We’re thrilled to welcome our new lab members and begin this exciting journey together. As we grow, our mission remains clear: to develop innovative technologies that improve the lives of patients. Here’s to collaboration, discovery, and impact!

Dr. Telkes Featured on MASTERMINDS Magazine

Dr. Ilknur Telkes and her ongoing research in the field of Chronic Pain were recently featured in the latest edition of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (SNBI) MASTERMINDS Magazine. The article highlights her innovative work at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical care, showcasing her commitment to advancing technologies that improve the lives of patients living with chronic pain.

Presenting at AANS Annual Meeting 2023

Shelby Sabourin, an affiliate of Telkes Lab, presented the team’s poster titled “Spatial Mapping in Basal Ganglia using Phase-Amplitude Coupling” at the 2023 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. This work contributes to our understanding of the spatial dynamics of brain oscillations and their role in neuromodulation therapies.

Dr. Telkes Featured on The Neuro-Careers Podcast Series

Dr. Ilknur Telkes recently joined the Neuro-Careers Podcast Series as a guest of Dr. Milena Korostenskaja from the Institute of Neuroapproaches. In this episode, Dr. Telkes shared insights into the cutting-edge field of Neuromodulation and Neuroengineering, discussing innovative approaches to the Treatment of Chronic Pain and the future of personalized neurotherapies.

Invitation to Judge at the M.D. Research and Scholarship Day

Dr. Ilknur Telkes served as a Judge at the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine Medical Student Research and Scholarship Day. This annual event provides a valuable opportunity for the FAU College of Medicine community to engage with and celebrate the research and scholarly projects led by medical students, highlighting their dedication to advancing science, medicine, and patient care.