Sitaram Ranganatha

- Research Scientist -

Email:	sitaram.ranganatha(at)uni-tuebingen.de
Phone:	+49-7071-29-74220
Fax:	+49-7071-29-5956
Mail:	Sitaram Ranganatha Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology Eberhard-Karls-University Gartenstr. 29 Office D-72074 Tübingen

Research Interests

Brain-computer Interfaces (BCI) and Neurofeedback
Neuroimaging Techniques: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Electroencephalography (EEG)
Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology
Scientific Study of Consciousness
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Information and Communication Systems

Research & Development Experience

2004 - present:	Institute of Medical Psychology & Behavioural Neurobiology Eberhard-Karls-University Research Field: fMRI BCI, NIRS BCI, Psychopathy & Stroke Treatment, and Emotional Regulation. Tuebingen
2001 - 2004:	Associate Lead Scientist Neurinformatics Lab Institute for Infocomm Research Singapore. Research Field: EEG BCI, Machine Learning, Signal Processing.
1999-2001:	Project Leader & Research Scientist SmartEdge Technology Group Kent Ridge Digital Labs Singapore; Research Field: Wireless Technology, Machine to Machine Interfaces, Smart Environments. Co-founder of Start-up - Communion Technologies Singapore. Field: Commercialization, Product Development, Funding, and Patenting.
1997-1999:	Group Leader & Research Scientist Smart Toys & Virtual Characters Kent Ridge Digital Labs Singapore. Research Field: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Wireless, New Programming Paradigms.
1996-1998:	Project Leader Integrated Transport Management System Kent Ridge Digital Labs and Land Transport Authority Singapore. Research Field: Intelligent Transport Systems, Data Fusion, Large-scale Software Development, Distributed Systems.
1992-1996:	Engineer and Research Team Member in research projects related to artificial intelligence, algorithms, cellular technology and software engineering.
1990-1992:	Senior Research Fellow Bhabha Atomic Research Center India. Research Field: Robot Gripper, Adaptive Control, Sensors.

Education

Master degree in Engineering (ME), PSG College of Engg, India (completed in February 1991).
Bachelor degree in Engineering (BE), Mysore University, India (completed in October 1988).
Ph.D, Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Psychology & Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen (2004-2007).

Professional Membership

IEEE Biomedical Engineering
Society for Psychophysiology Research
Organization for Human Brain Mapping
Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness

Special Skills

MRI Sequence Programming (Siemens Certified Training in IDEA and ICE, Erlangen, Germany, 2005)
Software Project Management and Leadership (PMI Certified Training, Singapore, 1996)
Object Oriented Software Design & Programming (Rational Rose, Singapore, 1994)
Unix System Programming and Administration (Singapore Computer Society, Singapore, 1994)
Prior experience in programming in C/C++, Java, Perl, Matlab and other lesser known languages.
Experienced using Neuroscan EEG System, ISS Imagent NIRS System, Siemens 1.5T and 3T MRI Systems, and neuropsychological softwares like E-prime for experimental protocol design & stimululs presentation, SPM2 & 5 for fMRI analysis and HOMER for NIRS analysis.

Patents Granted

Invention: A System, Method and Language for Programming Behaviour in Synthetic Creatures. Inventors: Ranganatha Sitaram, Annapoorna Nayak Pongal International Patent Application Number: PCT/SG01/00143 Date of Grant of Patent: 30/Jun/2005
Invention: Method and Apparatus for Developing and Distributing Interactive Advertisements. Inventors: Ranganatha Sitaram, Ramanath Padmanabhan International Patent Application Number: PCT/SG01/00143 Date of Grant of Patent: 27/Jan/2006
Invention: Portable Reward Checkout, Reward Management and Reward Redemption System. Inventors: Ramanath Padmanabhan, Ranganatha Sitaram International Patent Application Number: PCT/SG01/00143 Date of Grant of Patent: 28/Jan/2006
Invention: Improved Method of Co-ordinating a Group of Toys Inventors: Ranganatha Sitaram Chan Sek Yue Pat, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu Patent Application Number: SG 90113 Date of Grant of Patent: 31/Jan/2004

Patents Pending

Invention: Smart Interactive Billboard Device Inventors: Bao Xiaoming, Ranganatha Sitaram, Ramanath Padmanabhan International Patent Application Number: PCT/SG01/00115
Invention: A System for Interactive Information Display on a Billboard Inventors: Ranganatha Sitaram, Ramanath Padmanabhan Patent Application Number: 200301560-9

Recent Journal Articles

Sitaram, R., et al., Temporal classification of multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy signals of motor imagery for developing a brain?computer interface, NeuroImage (2006), doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.11.005.
Weiskopf, N., Sitaram, R., Josephs, O.,Veit, R, Scharnowski, F., Goebel, R., Birbaumer, N., Deichmann, I., Mathiak., K. (invited review) Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging: methods and applications. Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Magn Reson Imaging. 2007 Apr 21; [Epub ahead of print]
Sitaram, R. Weiskopf, N., Birbaumer, N (in press). Realtime fMRI - A tutorial on methods. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, Special Issue on BCI.
Caria, A., Veit, R., Sitaram, R., Lotze, M., Weiskopf, N., Grodd, W., Birbaumer, N. (2007). Regulation of anterior insular cortex activity using real-time fMRI. Neuroimage. Apr 15;35(3):1238-46. Epub 2007 Jan 31.
Sitaram, R., et al., et al., FMRI Brain-Computer Interface: A Tool for Neuroscientific Research and Treatment. Journal of Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, Special Issue on BCI (in press).
Caria, A., Sitaram, R., Veit, R., Birbaumer, N. (submitted). Volitional control of anterior insula enhances negative emotions.
Sitaram, R., Y. Hoshi, and G. Cuntai, eds. Near Infrared Spectroscopy based Brain-Computer Interface. Fundamental Problems of Optoelectronics and Microelectronics II, ed. Y.N. Kulchin, O.B. Vitrik, and V.I. Stroganov. Volume 5852, 2005.
Sitaram, R., Caria, A., Veit, R., Uludag, Gaber, T., K., Kübler, A., Birbaumer, N (2006). Functional Magnetic Resonance based BCI. Supplementary volume of Biomedizinische Technik (Biomedical Engineering), Graz, 2006.
Sitaram, R., Haihong, H., Uludag, K., Cuntai, G., Hoshi, Y., Birbaumer, N. (2006). Near Infrared Spectroscopy for BCI Development. Supplementary volume of Biomedizinische Technik (Biomedical Engineering), Graz.

Recent Conference Papers and Abstracts

"Does the modulation of the insular activity affect our emotional involvement? A real-time fMRI study during emotional pictures processing",Caria A. , Sitaram R., Veit R., Begliomini C., Gaber T., Kübler A. & Birbaumer N. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Conference, Vienna, 2006.
"Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI) for Communication and Paralysis", Niels Birbaumer, Ranganatha Sitaram, Leo Cohen, Cornelia Weber & Andrea Kübler, Scientific Program of 10 BFE Meeting, Vienna, 2007.
R. Sitaram, Z. Haihong, G. Cuntai, Y. Hoshi, N. Birbaumer (2006). Near Infrared Spectroscopy BCI. Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.
Rota, G., R. Sitaram, et al. (2006). " fMRI-neurofeedback for operant conditioning and neural plasticity investigation: a study on the physiological self-induced regulation of the BA 45." Proceedings of the Cognitive Neuroscience conference.
Caria, A., R. Veit, Gaber, T., Sitaram, R., Kübler, A., Birbaumer, N. (2006). Can We Learn to Increase Our Emotional Involvement? Real-Time fMRI of Anterior Cingulate Cortex During Emotional Processing. Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.
Veit, R., M. Lotze, Caria, A., Gaber, T., Sitaram, R., Kübler, A., Birbaumer, N. (2006). Real-time?Does the modulation of the insular activity affect our emotional involvement? A real-time fMRI study during emotional pictures processing?,Caria A. , Sitaram R., Veit R., Begliomini C., Gaber T., Kübler A. & Birbaumer N. Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Conference, Vienna, 2006.
"Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI) for Communication and Paralysis", Niels Birbaumer, Ranganatha Sitaram, Leo Cohen, Cornelia Weber & Andrea Kübler, Scientific Program of 10 BFE Meeting, Vienna, 2007.
R. Sitaram, Z. Haihong, G. Cuntai, Y. Hoshi, N. Birbaumer (2006). Near Infrared Spectroscopy BCI. Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.
Rota, G., R. Sitaram, et al. (2006). "fMRI-neurofeedback for operant conditioning and neural plasticity investigation: a study on the physiological self-induced regulation of the BA 45." Proceedings of the Cognitive Neuroscience conference.
Caria, A., R. Veit, Gaber, T., Sitaram, R., Kübler, A., Birbaumer, N. (2006). Can We Learn to Increase Our Emotional Involvement? Real-Time fMRI of Anterior Cingulate Cortex During Emotional Processing. Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.
Veit, R., M. Lotze, Caria, A., Gaber, T., Sitaram, R., Kübler, A., Birbaumer, N. (2006). Real-time fMRI of human anterior insula during emotional processing. Human Brain Mapping, Florenece, Italy.
Sitaram, R., A. Caria, et al. (2005). Real-time fMRI based Brain-computer Interface enhanced by Interactive Virtual Worlds. Society for Psychophysiological Research, Lisbon.
Sitaram R., Caria A., Veit R., Kübler A., Birbaumer N., "A fMRI based Brain-computer Interface enhanced by Interactive Virtual Worlds"w, Society for Psychophysiology Research, Lisbon, Sep 2005 (accepted submission).
Hinterberger, T ., Sitaram R., Birbaumer, N., "An auditory brain-computer communication device", IEEE BioCAS Conference 2004, Singapure, December 2004.
Sitaram R., Yoko Hoshi, Guan Cuntai "Near Infrared Spectroscopy based Brain-Computer Interface", submitted to The 3rd International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, 29 Nov - 1, Dec, 2004, Singapore.
Sitaram R., Guan Cuntai, Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jian Kang, "Comparison of artifact removal methods on their effect on motor task and imagery classification in a brain-computer interface", submitted to 2nd International Conference on Advances in Medical Signal and Information Processing (MEDSIP), 5-8, September 2004, Malta.
Xu Wenjie, Guan Cuntai, Chng Eng Siong, Sitaram R., Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jiankang, "High Accuracy Classification of EEG Signal", Accepted by International Conference of Pattern Recognition (ICPR), 23-26 August, 2004.
M. Thulasidas, C. Guan, Sitaram R., J. K. Wu, X. Zhu, W. Xu, "Effect of Ocular Artifact Removal in Brain Computer Interface Accuracy", submitted to 26th Annual Inter Conf IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), 1-5, Sept, 2004.
Guan Cuntai, Zhu Xiaoyuan, Sitaram R., Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jiankang, "Dynamic Feature for robust classification of EEG Signal", submitted to 2nd International Conference on Advances in Medical Signal and Information Processing (MEDSIP), 5-8, September 2004, Malta. fMRI of human anterior insula during emotional processing. Human Brain Mapping, Florenece, Italy.
Sitaram, R., A. Caria, et al. (2005). Real-time fMRI based Brain-computer Interface enhanced by Interactive Virtual Worlds. Society for Psychophysiological Research, Lisbon.
Sitaram R., Caria A., Veit R., Kübler A., Birbaumer N., "A fMRI based Brain-computer Interface enhanced by Interactive Virtual Worlds", Society for Psychophysiology Research, Lisbon, Sep 2005 (accepted submission).
Hinterberger, T ., Sitaram R., Birbaumer, N., "An auditory brain-computer communication device", IEEE BioCAS Conference 2004, Singapure, December 2004.
Sitaram R., Yoko Hoshi, Guan Cuntai "Near Infrared Spectroscopy based Brain-Computer Interface", submitted to The 3rd International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, 29 Nov ? 1, Dec, 2004, Singapore.
Sitaram R., Guan Cuntai, Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jian Kang, "Comparison of artifact removal methods on their effect on motor task and imagery classification in a brain-computer interface", submitted to 2nd International Conference on Advances in Medical Signal and Information Processing (MEDSIP), 5-8, September 2004, Malta.
Xu Wenjie, Guan Cuntai, Chng Eng Siong, Sitaram R., Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jiankang, "High Accuracy Classification of EEG Signal", Accepted by International Conference of Pattern Recognition (ICPR), 23-26 August, 2004.
M. Thulasidas, C. Guan, Sitaram R., J. K. Wu, X. Zhu, W. Xu, "Effect of Ocular Artifact Removal in Brain Computer Interface Accuracy", submitted to 26th Annual Inter Conf IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), 1-5, Sept, 2004.
Guan Cuntai, Zhu Xiaoyuan, Sitaram R., Manoj Thulasidas, Wu Jiankang, "Dynamic Feature for robust classification of EEG Signal", submitted to 2nd International Conference on Advances in Medical Signal and Information Processing (MEDSIP), 5-8, September 2004, Malta.