Georgia Malandraki Joins Beckman Institute as Part-Time Faculty

Georgia Malandraki has joined the Beckman Institute as a part-time faculty member, bringing her expertise in neuroscience, medical imaging, and machine learning to research focused on improving the diagnosis and rehabilitation of swallowing disorders.

Georgia’s research uses rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to study biological patterns and interactions between the brain and body. Her work focuses on understanding swallowing disorders that affect patients recovering from stroke or living with Parkinson’s disease. By examining signals between the brain and body, her research aims to support more accurate diagnosis and develop better rehabilitation approaches.

A key area of Georgia’s research is the use of neuroscience and machine learning to address chronic pain. She is exploring how data collected from wearable technologies can provide useful information about a patient’s condition. This work could help telehealth providers make more informed clinical decisions by allowing them to monitor signals and patterns relayed directly from patients.

Georgia will work collaboratively with researchers from all subject areas in the Beckman Institute. She's collaborating on a project called SimulScan with bioengineering Professor Brad Sutton, which involves improving medical imaging and related technologies. She's also working with bioengineering professor Yuan Yang on research with neuromodulation.

Key Highlights:

• Georgia joins Beckman Institute as part-time faculty
• Her research focuses on MRI, neuroscience, and machine learning
• She will work on swallowing disorders, neurorehabilitation, and neuromodulation

Today Georgia is the Head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, where she earned her doctoral degree in 2008. Her move to the Beckman Institute represents a return to the research community with which she had made important contributions.

While pursuing her doctorate, Georgia spent many hours collecting and analyzing data for her dissertation research at the Beckman Institute. She has recalled that time with great fondness and her research experience during that time.

It is believed her appointment will further position the institute in the interdisciplinary research area, bridging together the fields of speech and hearing science with biomedical engineering, neuroscience, medical imaging and new technologies. There has also been a movement towards wearable devices, machine learning, and superior imaging technologies in health care research which are reflected in her work.

Georgia hopes her research and partnerships can lead to technology and methods that enhance patient care, especially for those suffering from swallowing issues and neurological disease. The integration of brain-body signals with cutting-edge imaging and computational techniques may also aid in the creation of more personalized rehabilitation and telehealth options.

Georgia's academic experience and leadership, combined with her research background, provide a multidisciplinary perspective into the Beckman Institute. She will persist in investigating the potential of new technologies to improve the understanding of neurological and swallowing disorders and to facilitate diagnosis, rehabilitation and long-term patient management.

“Returning now as faculty is both exciting and deeply meaningful, and I look forward to strengthening our existing collaborations and building new collaborations that combine neuroscience, engineering, technology and clinical science to advance neurorehabilitation and improve people's lives,” she said, referring to her scientific journey with the Biomedical Imaging Center at the Beckman Institute.