Stefanie Blain-Moraes
AssociateÌý±Ê°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ´Ç°ù
School of Physical and Occupational Therapy
Associate Member
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Consciousness and Personhood Technologies
Dr. Stefanie Blain-Moraes is the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Consciousness and Personhood Technology (2019-2024). Since starting at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº in 2016, she has been principal or co-applicant on 29 successfully funded grant proposals that have brought a total of $9.6M to Canadian researchers; including $3.3M in operating funds awarded directly to her lab. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her research program, she has been a Principal Investigator on grants awarded from all three branches of the Canadian Tri-Council (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC). She has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers on the detection of consciousness and the development of technologies to maximize the personhood of non-communicative individuals. Her inventions are protected under one US Patent, and several Notices of Invention. Dr. Blain-Moraes’ research was recognized with Æ»¹ûÒùԺ’s Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers in 2022, and has been featured in National Geographic, STAT news, the New Scientist and CTV National News.
To date, Dr. Blain-Moraes has trained 51 highly qualified personnel (5 postdoctoral fellows, 4 PhD, 11 MSc and 24 BSc thesis students), and supervised an additional 56 undergraduate students for their capstone design projects. Collectively, her students have been awarded over $1.3 million through 33 scholarships and fellowships, and have received national and international recognition for their research and contributions to academia. The excellence of Dr. Blain-Moraes’ teaching and training was recognized with the 2020 Faculty of Medicine Teaching Innovation Award from Æ»¹ûÒùÔº and by the 2023 Carrie M. Derrick Award for Graduate Teaching and Supervision.
![Stefanie Blain-Moraes Stefanie Blain-Moraes](/bbme/files/bbme/styles/medium_focal__220_x_220_/public/rs414941_1345-1430_agora_4ir_tech_neurotechnology_007.jpg?itok=fbxyf_KN)
Consciousness, neuroprognosis, critical care, personhood, assistive technologies, minimally communicative individuals
Dr. Blain-Moraes runs the Biosignal Interaction and Personhood Technology (BIAPT) lab at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº. Her lab applies physiological signal processing techniques and assistive technology design principles to address the needs of non-communicative individuals and their care providers. The objectives of the BIAPT lab are:
1. To advance the understanding of the neurophysiological and physiological basis of human consciousness and interaction
2. To translate this understanding into technologies that improve the quality of life of non-communicative persons and their caregivers