Principal Investigator
Dr. Debadatta Dash
Lab Director
Dr. Dash is the director of the B.R.A.I.N. Lab and an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Tarleton State University. His research bridges brain-computer interfaces, human cognition, and AI, combining neuroimaging and computational neuroscience to decode brain function. Before joining Tarleton, he worked at Sonera and Meta on human-computer interaction and completed a postdoc at NIH investigating motor learning and memory consolidation. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, focusing on speech-BCIs with MEG and AI.
Graduate Students
Emmanuel Keku
Graduate Research Volunteer
Emmanuel Keku is currently pursuing an M.S. in Data Science in the Department of Mathematics at Tarleton State University. He also holds a M.Phil. in mathematical statistics. He has extensive experience in data analysis, statistical modeling, and research on topics like mental health impacts, epidemiological studies, and COVID-19 effects and planning to study these with neuroscience. In the lab, he works on the stroke neurorehabilitation project focusing on predictive mechanisms of memory reconsolidation. Emmanuel Keku is passionate about pursuing a career as a researcher and in academia to contribute to healthcare by bridging neuroscience and data science.
Arunima Pathak
Graduate Research Volunteer
Arunima Pathak is currently pursuing an M.S. in Data Science in the Department of Mathematics at Tarleton State University. She has over 8 years of professional experience in financial data analysis and project management. In the lab, Aru works on neural replay detection using non-invasive neuroimaging and machine learning to predict procedural memory consolidation. She also works on neuroimaging data visualization and processing to study neural disorders focusing on mental health disorders.
Emmanuel Frimpong
Graduate Research Volunteer
Emmanuel did his M.S. in Data Science and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics. He holds years of experience in statistical analysis, data visualization, and data science. In the lab, he works on the speech-BCI project contributing to the development of AI models . Emmanuel has years of experience in statistical analysis, data visualizations, and business intelligence.
Undergraduate Students
Dhilan Rohatgi
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Dhilan is a Freshman at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology with a bioinformatics concentration on the Pre-Veterinary track at Tarleton State University. In the lab, He works on Human-Computer Interaction projects in the lab with the focus on AI enabled gesture recognition (e.g., American Sign Language) with MMG, EMG, and EEG. He is passionate about AI applications to Veterinary Medicine and veterinary pharmaceuticals.
Lesly Rebollar-Hernandez
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Lesly is a senior at Tarleton State University pursuing a double major in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Medicine and Neuroscience. She holds several student leadership roles including serving as a Peer Mentor, Fundraising Chair of Kappa Delta Chi sorority, as well as the Secretary and Co-Founder of the Pre-physical Therapy Cub. In the lab, she works on identifying the central and peripheral mechanisms of pain and other neurological disorders with multimodal recognition systems, including fNIRS, EEG, and MMG. She is passionate about advancing her knowledge in health science while fostering mentorship, professional growth, and community engagement.
Aaron Hodges
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Aaron is a Sophomore at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience. In the lab, he works on the MEG-BCI project. He also manages participant recruitment for data collection in and outside the lab. He is very interested in number and patterns. Outside of research, he likes playing strategic and challenging card games like baccarat and blackjack to follow his interest in probability and logic. Aaron aspires to work in healthcare as a ER specialist.
Hailey Oubre
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hailey is a first-generation college Freshman at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science within the concentration of Pre-Veterinary Medicine. During high school, she took sign language classes for 3 years, worked at Paleface Veterinary Clinic as a Veterinary Assistant for 3 years, and was a part of Lake Travis High School’s FFA in her senior year. She is involved with Tarleton SERVES and Tarleton’s Pre-Veterinary Medical Association. In the lab, she works on wearables and sign language recognition project. She also manages the data collection in the lab. Hailey aspires to practice Veterinary medicine.
Dillon Gatlin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Dillon is a Senior at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, expected to graduate in May 2026. He works on the speech-BCI project developing machine learning and deep learning models to recognize speech from EEG and MEG signals. He is passionate about exploring practical applications of AI to enhance everyday tasks, with a strong interest in research focused on computer vision. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Master’s degree in AI and Machine learning.
Nathanael Solagratia
Undergraduate Research Volunteer
Nathan is a Senior at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, expected to graduate in May 2026. In the lab, he works on the speech-BCI project, contributing to developing LLM models for real-time decoding. He is passionate about data science, generative AI, and applied machine learning.
Nichole Jones
Undergraduate Research Volunteer
Nichole is a Senior at Tarleton State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science with a focus in Pharmacy, expected to graduate in May 2026. Nicole has immense leadership experience such as Ambassador for Tarleton Parent Association, Community Standards Officer on the Inter-Greek Council Board, Public Relations Representative for the Southern Region of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and Student Worker in the Office of the University President. In the lab, she works on the stroke-rehabilitation project, focusing on the effect of exercise and training on mental health post-stroke.