Tim Gardner’s research focuses on the development of 3D printing and microfabrication methods for implantable neural interfaces. In the Gardner lab, new tools are applied to study sensory-motor learning in songbirds. Specific interests include the neural basis of motor sequences, motor exploration, and reinforcement learning that shapes motor learning.
For Gardner, the goal of improving neural interfaces involves close collaboration with industry – both in industry sponsored work as well as direct support of startup companies seeking to enhance the therapeutic potential of human brain implants. Most recently, he worked as a founding member of Neuralink, a company building a fully implanted bidirectional interface to the human brain. Gardner holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University and earned his doctorate in biology and physics from Rockefeller University. He completed his post-doctoral fellowships at Rockefeller University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.