Bio

Sydney Hunt (she/her), from Cornwall, New York, is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) at Stanford School of Engineering. She is advised by Paul Nuyujukian, MD, PhD in the Brain Interfacing Laboratory.

She currently serves as a Trustee on the Duke University Board of Trustees, Knight-Hennessy Scholar Ambassador, and on the Knight-Hennessy Scholar Experience Committee. She graduated with distinction from Duke University with bachelor’s degrees in electrical/computer engineering and computer science (concentration in artificial intelligence and machine learning), and a minor in gender, sexuality, and feminist studies.

An aspiring professor, Sydney passionately commits herself to STEM retention as a founding member of both the nonprofit CS Sidekicks and Duke’s S.P.I.R.E. Fellows Living Learning Community. She conducted and published her BCI research at Caltech (Richard Andersen’s lab) and MIT (Polina Anikeeva’s lab) through the WAVE Fellows and MIT SRP-Bio programs, respectively. She enjoys playing soccer, trying new food, and dad jokes. Sydney is certified in Mental Health First Aid and a recipient of Duke’s Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship.

Honors & Awards

  • Knight-Hennessy Scholar, Stanford University (2023)
  • Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship, Duke University (2019)
  • Center for Mind, Brain, Computation and Technology Fellowship, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University (2024)
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Honorable Mention), National Science Foundation (2025)

Professional Affiliations and Activities

  • Trustee, Duke University Board of Trustees (2023 - Present)

Program Affiliations

  • Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Education & Certifications

  • Minor, Duke University, Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies (2023)
  • B.S., Duke University, Computer Science (Concentration Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) (2023)
  • B.S.E., Duke University, Electrical/Computer Engineering (2023)

Contact

  • Academic
    sydhunt@stanford.edu
    University - Student Department: Electrical Engineering Position: Graduate

Additional Info

Links

Lab Affiliations

All Publications

  • Multifunctional Neural Probes Enable Bidirectional Electrical, Optical, and Chemical Recording and Stimulation In Vivo. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) Driscoll, N., Antonini, M., Cannon, T. M., Maretich, P., Olaitan, G., Van, V. D., Nagao, K., Sahasrabudhe, A., Paniagua, E. V., Frey, E. J., Kim, Y. J., Hunt, S., Hummel, M., Mupparaju, S., Jasanoff, A., Venton, B. J., Anikeeva, P. 2024: e2408154

    Abstract

    Recording and modulation of neuronal activity enables the study of brain function in health and disease. While translational neuroscience relies on electrical recording and modulation techniques, mechanistic studies in rodent models leverage genetic precision of optical methods, such as optogenetics and fluorescent indicator imaging. In addition to electrical signal transduction, neurons produce and receive diverse chemical signals which motivate tools to probe and modulate neurochemistry. Although the past decade has delivered a wealth of technologies for electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemical sensing, and optical recording, combining these modalities within a single platform remains challenging. This work leverages materials selection and convergence fiber drawing to permit neural recording, electrical stimulation, optogenetics, fiber photometry, drug and gene delivery, and voltammetric recording of neurotransmitters within individual fibers. Composed of polymers and non-magnetic carbon-based conductors, these fibers are compatible with magnetic resonance imaging, enabling concurrent stimulation and whole-brain monitoring. Their utility is demonstrated in studies of the mesolimbic reward pathway by interfacing with the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens in mice and characterizing the neurophysiological effects of a stimulant drug. This study highlights the potential of these fibers to probe electrical, optical, and chemical signaling across multiple brain regions in both mechanistic and translational studies.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202408154

    View details for PubMedID 39506430

  • Fiber-based Probes for Electrophysiology, Photometry, Optical and Electrical Stimulation, Drug Delivery, and Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry In Vivo. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Driscoll, N., Antonini, M. J., Cannon, T. M., Maretich, P., Olaitan, G., Phi Van, V. D., Nagao, K., Sahasrabudhe, A., Vargas, E., Hunt, S., Hummel, M., Mupparaju, S., Jasanoff, A., Venton, J., Anikeeva, P. 2024

    Abstract

    Recording and modulation of neuronal activity enables the study of brain function in health and disease. While translational neuroscience relies on electrical recording and modulation techniques, mechanistic studies in rodent models leverage genetic precision of optical methods, such as optogenetics and imaging of fluorescent indicators. In addition to electrical signal transduction, neurons produce and receive diverse chemical signals which motivate tools to probe and modulate neurochemistry. Although the past decade has delivered a wealth of technologies for electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemical sensing, and optical recording, combining these modalities within a single platform remains challenging. This work leverages materials selection and convergence fiber drawing to permit neural recording, electrical stimulation, optogenetics, fiber photometry, drug and gene delivery, and voltammetric recording of neurotransmitters within individual fibers. Composed of polymers and non-magnetic carbon-based conductors, these fibers are compatible with magnetic resonance imaging, enabling concurrent stimulation and whole-brain monitoring. Their utility is demonstrated in studies of the mesolimbic reward pathway by simultaneously interfacing with the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens in mice and characterizing the neurophysiological effects of a stimulant drug. This study highlights the potential of these fibers to probe electrical, optical, and chemical signaling across multiple brain regions in both mechanistic and translational studies.

    View details for DOI 10.1101/2024.06.07.598004

    View details for PubMedID 38895451

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11185794

  • Identifying Risk Factors for Blindness From Glaucoma at First Presentation to a Tertiary Clinic. American journal of ophthalmology Shi, A., Berchuck, S. I., Jammal, A. A., Singh, G., Hunt, S., Roche, K., Mukherjee, S., Medeiros, F. A. 2023; 250: 130-137

    Abstract

    Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, a crippling disability resulting in higher risks of chronic health conditions. To better understand disparities in blindness risk, we identified risk factors of blindness on first presentation to a glaucoma clinic using a large clinical database.Retrospective cross-sectional study.We used electronic health records of glaucoma patients from the Duke Ophthalmic Registry. International Classification of Diseases codes were used to identify glaucoma and exclude concurrent diseases. Blindness classification was based on the definition of legal blindness. Risk factors included gender, race, marital status, age, intraocular pressure, diabetes history, income level, and education. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated for risk factors using univariable and multivariable logistic regression.Our cohort consisted of 3753 patients, with 192 (5%) blind on first presentation. In univariable models, African American / Black race (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.83-3.36), single marital status (1.74, 95% CI 1.25-2.44), prior diabetes diagnosis (2.23, 95% CI 1.52-3.27), and higher intraocular pressure (1.29 per 1 SD higher, 95% CI 1.13-1.46) were associated with increased risk of presenting blind, whereas higher annual income (0.75, 95% CI 0.65-0.86) and education (0.77, 95% CI 0.69-0.85) were associated with lower risk. These associations remained significant and in the same direction in a multivariable model apart from income, which became insignificant.Using a large real-world clinical database, we identified risk factors associated with presentation with blindness among glaucoma patients. Our results highlight disparities in health care outcomes and indicate the importance of targeted education to reduce disparities in blindness.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.02.006

    View details for PubMedID 36764425

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10281761

  • Robotic Arm Control Through Algorithmic Neural Decoding and Augmented Reality Object Detection Caltech Undergraduate Research Journal Hunt, S. 2022
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4819-1999