Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive technique used in neuroscience research and for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. During TMS, a current-carrying coil placed on the scalp induces an electric field (E-field) that modulates targeted neuronal circuits. Computational simulations of the induced E-field are increasingly used to gain a mechanistic understanding of TMS effects on the brain and to inform its administration. However, existing computational frameworks often neglect various inherent contingencies of the TMS setup, which can result in an E-field that differs from the one realized in practice.

To enhance the safe and effective use of computational simulations, we have developed a novel variation-aware computational E-field solver that predicts the expected value of the electric field while also providing confidence intervals to indicate potential variability in the actual E-field dose delivered. Our framework leverages fast computational methods, enabling its application in determining population-level optimal coil placements for targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in depression treatments. For instance, our predicted optimal coil placement across individuals corroborates recent findings suggesting that the clinically prescribed coil placement is suboptimal. Additionally, our framework facilitates the computation of individualized optimal coil placements while accounting for limitations in the precision and accuracy of TMS coil positioning protocols and potential segmentation errors.

Finally, I will briefly describe other ongoing efforts in my lab, including the design and fabrication of focal TMS coils, modeling the multiphysics response of cells to incident electromagnetic fields, and developing novel conductivity measurement techniques.

Luis Gomez is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, where he is developing computational electromagnetics methods to enhance brain stimulation technologies. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in 2014 and 2015, respectively. He subsequently pursued postdoctoral research in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University, Durham, NC, USA, where he developed focal noninvasive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation coils. Dr. Gomez is the recipient of a K99/R00 Brain Initiative Award and was recognized with the Journal of Neural Engineering Outstanding Reviewer Award in 2019 and 2022 ACES Early Career Award for his work in computational electromagnetics.