prof. dr. N.F. (Nick) Ramsey
prof. dr. N.F. (Nick) Ramsey

- Neurology & Neurosurgery
Research Programs
Biography
Biography
Nick Ramsey has a degree in Psychology and a PhD in neuro-psychopharmacology, both from the university of Utrecht (Netherlands). He became a specialist in cognitive neuroimaging in the US (National Institutes of Health), and applies modern techniques, including high-field (7 Tesla) fMRI and intracranial EEG, to questions on working memory, language, and sensorimotor function. His primary goal is to acquire and translate neuro-scientific insights to patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, with a focus on brain-computer interfacing (BCI). He is full professor in cognitive neuroscience at the department of neurology and neurosurgery of the UMC Utrecht since 2007. He has been awarded several personal grants including a VIDI (NWO, 2002) for elucidating working memory, a VICI (NWO, 2006) and later a European ERC Advanced grant for developing intracranial BCI concepts for paralyzed people. The BCI research resulted in a world-wide first fully implanted BCI for home use, implanted in a locked-in patient with ALS in 2015. Current research aims to develop and implement the next generation BCI implants, for enabling people with communication disorders to speak again. He has co-founded, and is the current President of, the international brain-Computer Interface. He has also been awarded a STW Valorisation grant (phase 1 & 2) for starting a spin-off company (BrainCarta) to provide Clinical fMRI reports to clinicians. He has supervised over 20 PhD students and has (co)authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications.
Research line
Brain-Computer Interface, Human Brain Function, Neurotechnology, Translational Neuroscience
Key publications
1: Ramsey NF, Salari E, Aarnoutse EJ, Vansteensel MJ, Bleichner MB and Freudenburg ZV (2017) Decoding spoken phonemes from sensorimotor cortex with High-Density ECoG grids. Neuroimage (in press)
2: Bruurmijn LCM, Pereboom IPL, Vansteensel MJ, Raemaekers MAH and Ramsey NF (2017) Preservation of hand movement representation in the sensorimotor areas of amputees. Brain 140(12):3166-3178
3: Berezutskaya J, Freudenburg ZV, Güçlü U, van Gerven MAJ, Ramsey NF (2017) Neural tuning to low-level features of speech throughout the perisylvian cortex. J Neurosci (in press)
4: Vansteensel MJ, Pels EGM, Bleichner MG, Branco MP, Denison T, Freudenburg ZV, Gosselaar P, Leinders S, Ottens TH, Van Den Boom MA, Van Rijen PC, Aarnoutse EJ, Ramsey NF (2016) Fully Implanted Brain–Computer Interface in a Locked-In Patient with ALS. N Engl J Med 375:2060-2066
5: Branco MP, Freudenburg ZV, Aarnoutse EJ, Bleichner MG, Vansteensel MJ, Ramsey NF (2016) Decoding hand gestures from primary somatosensory cortex using high-density ECoG. Neuroimage 147:130-142
6: Vansteensel MJ, Bleichner MG, Freudenburg ZV, Hermes D, Aarnoutse EJ, Leijten FS, Ferrier CH, Jansma JM, Ramsey NF (2014) Spatiotemporal characteristics of electrocortical brain activity during mental calculation. Hum Brain Mapp. 35(12):5903-20.
7: Ramsey NF, Aarnoutse EJ, Vansteensel MJ (2014) Brain implants for substituting lost motor function: state of the art and potential impact on lives of motor-impaired seniors. Gerontology 60(4): 366-72
Side Activities
CSO & Founder of startup (unpaid), Braincarta BV
Scientific Advisor to Wyss Center For Bio And Neuroengineering
Fellowship and Awards
Fogarty Fellowship at the National Institute in Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism (1992)
Fogarty Fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health (1994)
SIGO Prize for interdisciplinary behavioral science (2018)
Research Output (261)
van Grinsven E E, Smits A R, van Kessel E, Raemaekers M A H, de Haan E H F, Huenges Wajer I M C, Ruijters V J, Philippens M E P, Verhoeff J J C, Ramsey N F, Robe P A J T, Snijders T J, van Zandvoort M J E Jan 2023, In: NeuroImage. Clinical. 37
Branco Mariana P, Geukes Simon H, Aarnoutse Erik J, Ramsey Nick F, Vansteensel Mariska J 2023, In: European Journal of Neuroscience. 57 , p. 1260-1288 29 p.
Mercier Manuel R, Dubarry Anne-Sophie, Tadel François, Avanzini Pietro, Axmacher Nikolai, Cellier Dillan, Vecchio Maria Del, Hamilton Liberty S, Hermes Dora, Kahana Michael J, Knight Robert T, Llorens Anais, Megevand Pierre, Melloni Lucia, Miller Kai J, Piai Vitória, Puce Aina, Ramsey Nick F, Schwiedrzik Caspar M, Smith Sydney E, Stolk Arjen, Swann Nicole C, Vansteensel Mariska J, Voytek Bradley, Wang Liang, Lachaux Jean-Philippe, Oostenveld Robert 15 Oct 2022, In: NeuroImage. 260
van Grinsven E. E., Smits A. R., van Kessel E., Raemaekers M., de Haan E. H. F., Huenges-Wajer I. M. C., Ruijters V. J., Philippens M. E. P., Verhoeff J. J. C., Ramsey N. F., Robe P. A. J. T., Snijders T. J., van Zandvoort M. J. E. 5 Sep 2022, In: Neuro-oncology. 24 , p. ii24
Groen Iris I A, Piantoni Giovanni, Montenegro Stephanie, Flinker Adeen, Devore Sasha, Devinsky Orrin, Doyle Werner, Dugan Patricia, Friedman Daniel, Ramsey Nick, Petridou Natalia, Winawer Jonathan 19 Aug 2022, In: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 42 , p. 7562-7580 19 p.
Fahimi Hnazaee Mansoureh, Verwoert Maxime, Freudenburg Zachary V., van der Salm Sandra M.A., Aarnoutse Erik J., Leinders Sacha, Van Hulle Marc M., Ramsey Nick F., Vansteensel Mariska J. 1 Aug 2022, In: Journal of Neural Engineering. 19
Favero Paolo, Berezutskaya Julia, Ramsey Nick F., Nazarov Aleksei, Freudenburg Zachary V. 1 Jul 2022, 2022 , p. 802-806 5 p.
Berezutskaya Julia, Ambrogioni Luca, Ramsey Nick F., van Gerven Marcel A.J. 1 Jul 2022, In: Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference. 2022 , p. 3100-3104 5 p.
Schellekens Wouter, Bakker Carlijn, Ramsey Nick F, Petridou Natalia Apr 2022, In: PLoS Computational Biology. 18 , p. 1-31
Berezutskaya Julia, Vansteensel Mariska J., Aarnoutse Erik J., Freudenburg Zachary V., Piantoni Giovanni, Branco Mariana P., Ramsey Nick F. 21 Mar 2022, In: Scientific data. 9 , p. 1-13