Fu, Michael, PhD

Michael Fu, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, with additional appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Computer and Data Sciences, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

He is also a Research Health Scientist with the Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and a Bioscientific Staff member in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The MetroHealth System.

Dr. Fu’s research focuses on developing innovative technologies to improve neurorehabilitation and functional independence for people with neurological disabilities. His work combines electrical stimulation, virtual reality (VR), robotics, human-computer interfaces, and computational modeling to develop rehabilitation interventions that can be translated from engineering laboratories into clinical and community settings. His research has particularly focused on stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and limb loss.

A major area of Dr. Fu’s research is the development of electrical stimulation technologies for rehabilitation. He helped develop a hand rehabilitation therapy that combines motion-controlled video games with skin-surface functional electrical stimulation (FES), and he subsequently led case studies and randomized clinical trials evaluating the intervention in adults with chronic stroke and children with cerebral palsy. His research has also contributed to the first-in-human demonstration of high-frequency electrical motor nerve block using implanted nerve cuff electrodes, an approach with potential applications for managing spasticity following neurological injury.

Dr. Fu also develops immersive and interactive technologies designed to enhance rehabilitation and provide new ways for people with and without disabilities to interact with their environments. His work includes virtual reality games for motor and cognitive rehabilitation, novel haptic interfaces using electrical stimulation of digital nerves, adaptive technologies for individuals with disabilities, and VR-based interventions for vision, balance, and traumatic brain injury symptoms. He has also explored the use of neural signals to identify movement intent and improve the timing of robotic assistance during stroke rehabilitation.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Novel Rehabilitation Techniques for Motor Function after Stroke
  
• Electrical Stimulation and Neurorehabilitation: Development of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and functional electrical stimulation technologies to improve motor function and rehabilitation outcomes following stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and other neurological conditions.
• Stroke Rehabilitation: Development and clinical evaluation of technology-assisted interventions that combine electrical stimulation, motion-controlled video games, robotics, and other interactive technologies to improve upper-extremity function following stroke.
• Neuroprosthetics and Nerve Block: Development of implanted and external neurostimulation technologies, including high-frequency electrical motor nerve block using implanted nerve cuff electrodes. This work has potential applications in controlling muscle activity and spasticity following neurological injury.
• Virtual Reality and Interactive Rehabilitation: Development of immersive virtual environments and video games to improve motor and cognitive function and to assess and treat symptoms associated with traumatic brain injury and vestibular dysfunction.
• Haptic Interfaces and Sensory Feedback: Development of distally referred surface electrical nerve stimulation (DR-SENS) to create haptic feedback and sensory perceptions through stimulation of digital nerves. These technologies have applications in rehabilitation, virtual reality, robotics, and teleoperation.
• Adaptive and Assistive Technologies: Development of adaptive interfaces and technologies that enable people with disabilities to interact with computers, robots, vehicles, and other systems. Recent work includes an adaptive ride-on car with modular hand controls and driving games for cognitive-motor training.
• Brain-Computer Interfaces and Movement Intent: Investigation of electroencephalography (EEG) signals associated with reaching movement in people with stroke, with the goal of improving synchronization between a person’s intention to move and robotic rehabilitation assistance.
• Open-Source Neurostimulation Platforms: Development of the Networked NeuroProsthesis (NNP), an open-source implantable multifunction neurostimulation platform designed to reduce technology and regulatory barriers for neuroprosthetic research. Dr. Fu is collaborating on a device-lending library that will allow FES Center investigators to access NNP devices for pilot studies.

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (CCFES) Hand Rehabilitation: Dr. Fu developed a hand rehabilitation intervention combining motion-controlled video games with skin-surface FES and subsequently conducted case studies and randomized clinical trials in adults with chronic stroke and children with cerebral palsy. This work was supported by the NIH and Department of Veterans Affairs.
• NSF CAREER Award: Dr. Fu received the 2020 NSF Early Career Award to develop an effort-dependent electrical stimulation modality that provides assistance as needed during therapy, with the goal of preventing patients from relying excessively on stimulation rather than actively engaging in rehabilitation. The award supported the development of adaptive stimulation approaches for neurorehabilitation.
• Networked NeuroProsthesis (NNP): Through an NIH SPARC project, Dr. Fu has collaborated with FES Center investigator Nathan Makowski since 2023 to advance the open-source NNP platform. The project includes development of a Device Lending Library that will allow investigators to access implantable and skin-surface neurostimulation devices for pilot studies.
• DARPA Neurotechnology and Virtual Reality: DARPA supported Dr. Fu’s work combining virtual reality with an implanted neural interface that enables individuals with limb loss to command robotic drone swarms.
• VA Virtual Reality Rehabilitation: The Department of Veterans Affairs is supporting Dr. Fu’s development of virtual reality games designed to assess and treat vision-related symptoms following traumatic brain injury.
• First-in-Human High-Frequency Motor Nerve Block: Dr. Fu contributed to the first-in-human demonstration of high-frequency electrical motor nerve block using implanted nerve cuff electrodes. The technology may provide a new approach for controlling muscle spasticity in people with neurological injury.
• Haptic Feedback Through Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Dr. Fu led the development of a haptic interface using distally referred surface electrical stimulation of digital nerves, providing sensory feedback that can be used in rehabilitation, virtual reality, and robotic applications.
• Real-Time Burn Detection During Electrical Stimulation: His research has included development of electrical circuits capable of detecting and preventing skin burns in real time during surface electrical stimulation, supporting the safe application of electrical stimulation technologies
  

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• • 2025 Editor of Distinction, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, Springer Nature
  • 2024 Nominee, Carl F. Wittke Undergraduate Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University
  • 2024 Nominee, Undergraduate Teaching Award, CWRU Department of Computer and Data Sciences
  • 2023 Commercialization Award, Case Western Reserve University
  • 2021 Semifinalist, All Nippon Airways AVATAR XPRIZE Telerobotic Competition, XPRIZE Foundation
  • 2020 Chair’s Award for Research, CWRU Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • 2020 Early Career Award, NSF Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering Program
  • 2020–2023 Timothy E. and Allison L. Schroeder Assistant Professorship, Case Western Reserve University
  • 2015 Best Poster, NIH KL2 Scholar Reunion, Cleveland Clinical Translational Science Collaborative
  • 2012–2016 NIH KL2 Fellowship, Cleveland Clinical Translational Science Collaborative
  • 2007 Lewis’ Educational and Research Collaborative Internship Project Fellowship, NASA Glenn Research Center