Malcolm A. MacIver, PhD
- Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering
- Professor of Neurobiology (courtesy)
- NU Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
Professor MacIver is group leader in the Neuroscience and Robotics Laboratory at Northwestern University, where he is an Associate Professor with joint appointments between Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, and a courtesy appointment with the Department of Neurobiology. His work focuses on extracting key mechanistic principles underlying complex animal behavior, focusing on interactions between biomechanics, neuronal processing, and sensory system properties while animals are actively acquiring information. He then incorporates these mechanisms into advanced biorobotic systems, or large scale simulations on computing clusters, for synergy between technological and scientific advances. He received the 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering.
MacIver has also developed interactive science-inspired art exhibits that have exhibited internationally, frequently consults for science fiction film makers in Hollywood, and spoke at the 2013 Caltech TEDx on ’The Brain’ about the evolution of planning and awareness.
