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Stefanie Blain-Moraes

Academic title(s): 

Associate Professor

Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Consciousness and Personhood Technology

Stefanie Blain-Moraes
Contact Information
Address: 

3630 Prom-Sir-William-Osler

Montreal, Quebec

H3G 1Y5

Phone: 
514-398-1325
Email address: 
stefanie.blain-moraes [at] mcgill.ca
Position: 
Associate Professor
Link(s): 
Degree(s): 

B.A.Sc. (Engineering Science), University of Toronto

Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences), University of Toronto

Postdoctoral fellowship (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Anesthesiology), University of Michigan

Teaching areas: 

Design of Assistive Technology: Principles and Praxis

Current research: 

Consciousness, neuroprognosis, critical care, personhood, assistive technologies, minimally communicative individuals

Prof. Blain-Moraes runs the Biosignal Interaction and Personhood Technology (BIAPT) lab at 91社区.听 Her lab applies physiological signal processing techniques and assistive technology design principles to address the needs of non-communicative individuals and their care providers.听 The objectives of the BIAPT lab are:

1.听听听听听听 To advance the understanding of the neurophysiological and physiological basis of human consciousness and interaction
2.听听听听听听 To translate this understanding into technologies that improve the quality of life of non-communicative persons and their caregivers

Biography: 

Prof. Stefanie Blain-Moraes is the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Consciousness and Personhood Technology (2019-2024). Since starting at 91社区 in 2016, she has been principal or co-applicant on 29 successfully funded grant proposals that have brought a total of $9.6M to Canadian researchers; including $3.3M in operating funds awarded directly to her lab. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her research program, she has been a Principal Investigator on grants awarded from all three branches of the Canadian Tri-Council (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC). She has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers on the detection of consciousness and the development of technologies to maximize the personhood of non-communicative individuals. Her inventions are protected under one US Patent, and several Notices of Invention. Prof. Blain-Moraes鈥� research was recognized with 91社区鈥檚 Principal鈥檚 Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers in 2022, and has been featured in National Geographic, STAT news, the New Scientist and CTV National News.

To date, Prof. Blain-Moraes has trained 51 highly qualified personnel (5 postdoctoral fellows, 4 PhD, 11 MSc and 24 BSc thesis students), and supervised an additional 56 undergraduate students for their capstone design projects. Collectively, her students have been awarded over $1.3 million through 33 scholarships and fellowships, and have received national and international recognition for their research and contributions to academia. The excellence of Prof. Blain-Moraes鈥� teaching and training was recognized with the 2020 Faculty of Medicine Teaching Innovation Award from 91社区 and by the 2023 Carrie M. Derrick Award for Graduate Teaching and Supervision.

Areas of expertise: 

Consciousness, neuroprognosis, critical care, personhood, assistive technologies, minimally communicative individuals

Selected publications: 

Notation. 91社区 research trainees supervised by myself are identified by italics; 搂 indicates equal authorship contributions, * indicates corresponding or co-corresponding authors, and 掳 indicates authorship from a community partner (e.g. not affiliated with an academic institution).

2023

  • Plez, L., Holland, M.掳, Kulasegarampillai, P., Sieu, T-C. & Blain-Moraes, S. (2023) 鈥溾�橧 made you a small room in my heart鈥�: How therapeutic clowns meet the needs of older adults in nursing homes鈥�. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being. (accepted).
  • Maschke, C., Duclos, C., Owen, A.M., Jerbi, K. & Blain-Moraes, S. (2023) 鈥淎periodic brain activity varies in altered states of consciousness鈥�. NeuroImage. 275:120154. Doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120154
  • Brennan, J., Kelleher, M., Motta-Ochoa, R., Blain-Moraes, S. & Specker Sullivan, L. (2023) 鈥淪ituated personhood: Insights from caregivers of behaviorally unresponsive individuals鈥�. International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. (accepted).
  • Kuhlmann, N., Robert, J., Thomas, A. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2023) 鈥淧iece of Mind: Mobilizing scientific and experiential knowledge of Parkinson鈥檚 Disease through the arts鈥�. Leonardo. Doi:10.1162/leon_a_02371.
  • Frantz, A., Incio-Serra, N., Lopez Almendariz, A., Duclos, C., Owen, A.M. & Blain-Moraes, S. (2023) 鈥淎ssessing cognitive outcome in coma survivors: A literature review.鈥� Brain Sciences. 13(1): doi:10.3390/brainsci13010096.
  • Kuhlmann, N., Lecuyer, J., Thomas, A. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2023) 鈥淧iece of Mind: Mobilizing scientific and experiential knowledge of dementia through the arts鈥�. Leonardo. (accepted).

2022

  • Ocay, D.D., Teel, E.F., Luo, O.D., Savignac, C., Mahdid, Y., Blain-Moraes, S. & Ferland, C.E.* (2022) 鈥淓lectroencephalographic characteristics of children and adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain鈥�. PAIN Reviews. 7(6):e1054. Doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001054.
  • Teel, E.F., Ocay, D.D., Blain-Moraes, S.* & Ferland, C.E.*. (2022) 鈥淎ccurate classification of pain experiences using wearable electroencephalography in adolescents with and without chronic musculoskeletal pain鈥�. Frontiers in Pain Research. 3.
  • Maschke, C., Duclos, C., Blain-Moraes, S. (2022) 鈥淧aradoxical markers of conscious levels: Effects of anesthesia on patients in disorders of consciousness鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 16.
  • Sample, M., Boehlen, W., Sattler, S., Blain-Moraes, S. & Racine, E.* (2022) 鈥淏rain-computer interfaces, inclusive innovation, and the promise of restoration: A mixed-methods study with rehabilitation professionals鈥�. Engaging Science, Technology and Society. 8(2).
  • Holland, M.掳, Fiorito, M.E., Gravel, M., McLeod, S., Polson, J., Incio Serra, N. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2022) 鈥溾�橶e are still doing some magic鈥�: Exploring the effectiveness of online therapeutic clowning鈥�. Arts and Health.
  • Croteau, F., Th茅nault, F., Blain-Moraes, S., Pearsall, D., Paradelo, D. & Robbins, S.M. (2022) 鈥淎utomatic detection of passing and shooting in water polo using machine learning鈥�. Sports Biomechanics. Doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2022.2044507
  • Fu, D., Incio Serra, N., Mansion, H.掳, Tamko Mansion, E. 掳 & Blain-Moraes, S. (2022) 鈥淎ssessing the effect of nature on physiological states using wearable technologies鈥�. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19(3), 1231: doi:10.3390/ijerph19031231.
  • Labonte, A., Kafashan, M.M., Huels, E.R., Blain-Moraes, S., Basner, M., Kelz, M.B., Mashour, G.A., Avidan, M.S., Palanca, B.J.A.*, ReCCognition Study Group. (2022) 鈥淭he posterior dominant rhythm: An electroencephalographic surrogate for cognitive recovery following general anesthesia鈥�. British Journal of Anesthesia. Doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.01.019.

2021

  • Azevedo, N., Crestol, A., Berkun, K., Papthanasopoulos, A., Yamani, L., Rokos, A., Kehayia, E. 搂 & Blain-Moraes, S.* 搂 鈥�(2021) A N400 event-related potential elicitation paradigm for native French speakers鈥�. Mental Lexicon. (in press).
  • Rokos, A., Misic, B., Berkun, K., Duclos, C., Tarnal, V., Janke, E., Picton, P., Golmirzaie, G., Basner, M., Avidan, M.S., Kelz, M.B., Mashour, G.A. & Blain-Moraes, S. (2021) 鈥淒istinct and dissociable EEG networks are associated with recovery of cognitive function following anesthesia-induced unconsciousness鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
  • Rokos, A., Mah, R., Boshra, R., Harrison, A., Choy, T.L., Blain-Moraes, S.* 搂 & Connolly, J.F. 搂 鈥淓liciting and recording event related potentials (ERPs) in behaviorally unresponsive populations: a reflective commentary on critical factors鈥�. Brain Sciences. Doi:10.3390/brainsci11070835.
  • Savignac, C., Ocay, D.D., Mahdid, Y., Blain-Moraes, S. & Ferland, C.* 鈥淐linical use of electroencephalography in the assessment of acute thermal pain: A narrative review based on articles from 2009 to 2020鈥�. Clinical EEG & Neuroscience. (accepted)
  • Duclos, C., Maschke, C., Mahdid, Y., Berkun, K., Da Silva Castanheira, J., Tarnal, V., Picton, P., Vanini, G., Golmirzaie, G., Janke, E., Avidan, M., Kelz, M., Liuzzi, L., Brookes, M., Mashour, G. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2021) 鈥淒ifferential classification of states of consciousness using envelope- and phase-based functional connectivity鈥�. NeuroImage. 237:118171 Doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118171.
  • Mashour, G.A.*, Palanca, B., Basner, M., Li, D., Maier, K., Wang, W., Blain-Moraes, S., Lin, N., Muench, M., Tarnal, V., Vanini, G., Ochroch, E., Schwartz, M., Maybrier, H., Hardie, R., Janke, E., Golmirzaie, G., Picton, P., McKinstry-Wu, A., Avidan, M.S. 搂 & Kelz, M.B. 搂. (2021) 鈥淩ecovery of consciousness and cognition after general anesthesia in humans鈥�. eLIFE. Doi:10.7554/eLife.59525.
  • Huels, E., Kim, H., Lee, U., Bel-Behar, T., Colmenero, A., Nelson, A., Blain-Moraes, S., Mashour, G.A., Harris, R.E.* (2021) 鈥淣eural correlates of the shamanic state of consciousness鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.610466
  • Motta-Ochoa, R., Incio-Serra, N. 搂, Frantz, A.搂 & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2021) 鈥淓nacting agency: Movement, dementia and interaction鈥�. Arts and Health. doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2021.1894464
  • Motta-Ochoa, R. 搂, Incio-Serra, N. 搂, Boulet, A.掳, Fu, D., Frantz, A., Williams, M.掳 & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2021) 鈥淢ouvement de passage: Creating connections through movement among persons with dementia鈥�. Dementia. Doi.org/10.1177/14713012211004009.
  • Motta-Ochoa, R., Leibing, A., Bresba, P.掳, William, M.掳, Shaffer, S.掳, Julien, O.掳, Racine, E. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2021) 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Part of Us and We鈥檙e Happy to Have You Here鈥�: Practices of Social Inclusion in a Community-Based Organization for Persons with Dementia鈥�. Clinical Gerontology. 44(4): 471-480. Doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2021.1891170
  • Duclos, C. 搂, Nadin, D. 搂, Mahdid, Y., Tarnal, V., Picton, P., Vanini, G., Golmirzaie, G., Janke, E., Avidan, M.S., Kelz, M.B., Mashour, G.A. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2021) 鈥淏rain network motifs are markers of loss and recovery of consciousness鈥�. Scientific Reports. 11:3892. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83482-9.

2020

  • Mahdid, Y., Lee, U. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2020) 鈥淎ssessing the quality of wearable EEG systems using functional connectivity鈥�. IEEE Access. 8:193214-193225. doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3033472
  • Duclos, C., Norton, L., Laforge, G., Frantz, A., Maschke, C., Owen., A.M. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2020) 鈥淧rotocol for the prognostication of consciousness recovery following a brain injury鈥�. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 12.
  • Motta-Ochoa, R., Bresba, P.掳, Da Silva Castanheira, J., Kwan, C.L., Shaffer, S.掳, Julien, O.掳, William, M.掳 & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2020) 鈥溾�榃hen I hear my language, I travel back in time and I feel at home鈥�: Intersections of culture with social inclusion and exclusion of persons with dementia and their caregivers鈥�. Transcultural Psychiatry. Doi.org/10.1177/13634615211001707.
  • Nadin, D., Duclos, C., Mahdid, Y., Rokos, A., Badawy, M., Letourneau, J., Arbour, C., Plourde, G. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2020) 鈥淏rain Network Motif Topography May Predict Emergence from Disorders of Consciousness: A Case Series鈥�. Neuroscience of Consciousness. 2020(1):niaa017.
  • Cascio, M.A., Motta-Ochoa, R., Teachman, G., Grond, F., Tembeck, T., Blain-Moraes, S. & Park, M.* (2020) 鈥淲hat鈥檚 at stake with biomusic? Engaging the humanities and social sciences in the ethical reflections on an emerging technology.鈥� Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. 5(20):1-20.
  • Cascio, M.A., Grond, F., Motta-Ochoa, R., Tembeck, T., Van Teen, D.掳, Blain-Moraes, S.* (2020) 鈥淲orking together 鈥� ethnographic observations on participatory design involving adults with autism鈥�. Human Organization. 79(1):1-12. doi.org/10.17730/0018-7259.79.1.1

2019

  • Sample, M., Sattler, S., Blain-Moraes, S., Rodriguez-Arias, D. & Racine, E.* (2019) 鈥淒o publics share experts鈥� worries about brain-computer interfaces? A trinational survey on the ethics of neural technology鈥�. Science, Technology, and Human Values. doi.org/10.1177/0162243919879220
  • Kwan, C.L., Mahdid, Y., Motta Ochoa, R., Lee, K., Park, M. & Blain-Moraes, S.* (2019) 鈥淲earable technology for detecting significant moments in individuals with dementia鈥�. Biomed Research International. Vol. 2019, Article ID 6515813, 13 pages. .
  • Renda, E., Karmali, S.A., Yordanova, I., Schwartz, S., Mahdid, Y., Blain-Moraes, S.搂 & Boudrias, M.H. 搂* (2019) 鈥淓ffects of transcranial direct current stimulation on an individual鈥檚 ability to learn to control a brain-computer interface鈥�. 91社区 Journal of Medicine.
  • Sample, M., Aunos, M., Blain-Moraes, S., Bublitz, C., Chandler, J., Falk, T., Friederich, O., Groetzinger, D., Jox, R.J., Koegel, J., McFarland, D., Neufield, V., Rodriguez-Arias, D., Sattler, S., Vidal, F., Wolbring, G., Wolkenstein, A. & Racine, E.* (2019) 鈥淏CIs and personhood: Interdisciplinary deliberations on the impact of neural technology鈥�. Journal of Neural Engineering. doi:10.1088/1741-2552/ab39cd
  • Moraes, C.搂, Blain-Moraes, S.搂, Morell-Tomassoni, S. & Gorbet, R.B.* (2021) 鈥淭he W-model: A pre-college design pedagogy for solving wicked problems鈥�. International Journal of Technology and Design Education. 31(1): 139-164.
  • Grond, F., Motta-Ochoa, R., Miyake, N.掳, Tembeck, T., Park, M. & Blain-Moraes, S. (2019) 鈥淧articipatory design of affective technology: Interfacing biomusic and autism鈥�. IEEE Transactions of Affective Computing.
  • Connolly, J.*, Reilly, J., Fox-Robichaud, A., Britz, P., Blain-Moraes, S., Sonnadara, R., Hamielec, C., Herrera-Diaz, A. & Boshra, R. (2019) 鈥淒evelopment of a point of care system for automated coma prognosis 鈥� a prospective cohort study protocol鈥�. BMJ Open.
  • Shortal, B.P., Hickman, L.B., Mak-McCully, R.A., Wang, W., Brennan, C., Ung, H., Litt, B., Tarnal, V., Janke, E., Picton, P., Blain-Moraes, S., Maybrier, H., Muench, M., Lin, N., Avidan, M., Mashour, G., McKinstry-Wu, A., Kelz, M., Palanca, B., & Proekt, A. (2019) 鈥淒uration of electroencephalogram suppression does not predict recovery time from general anesthesia鈥�. British Journal of Anaesthesia. Doi:
  • Lee, H., Golkowski, D., Jordan, D., Berger, S., Ilg, R., Lee, J., Mashour, G.A., Lee, U., Avidan, M., Blain-Moraes, S., Golmirzaie, G., Hardie, R., Hogg, R., Janke, E., Kelz, M.B., Maier, K., Maybrier, H.R., McKinstry-Wu, A., Muench, M., Ochroch, A., Palanca, B.J.A., Picton, P., Schwarz, E.M., Tarnal, V., Vanini, G., Vlisides, P.E. (2019) 鈥淩elationship of critical dynamics, functional connectivity, and states of consciousness in large-scale human brain networks鈥�. NeuroImage. 188:228-238. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.12.011

2018

  • Blain-Moraes, S.*, Racine, E. & Mashour, G.A. (2018) 鈥淐onsciousness and Personhood in Medical Care鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 12. 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00306
  • Thiery T, Lajnef, T, Combrisson E, Dehgan A, Rainville P, Mashour G, Blain-Moraes, S. & Jerbi K.* (2018) "Long-range temporal correlations in the brain distinguish conscious wakefulness from induced unconsciousness", NeuroImage 179: 30-39. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.05.069
  • Koller, D.*, McPherson, A.C., Lockwood, I., Blain-Moraes, S. & Nolan, J. (2018) 鈥淭he impact of Snoezelen in pediatric complex continuing care: A pilot study鈥�. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Approach. 11:31-41.

2017

  • Walsh, A.*, Evans, J.E., Sims, E., Goldberg, R.L., Peters, K.L., Globerson, K., Drossel, C., Blain-Moraes, S., Merbitz, N.K. (2017) 鈥淏edside audio storytelling for hospital patients: A program overview鈥�. The Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. Fall 2017, pp. 1-24.
  • Blain-Moraes, S., Tarnal, V., Vanini, G., Bel-Behar, T., Janke, E., Picton, P., Golmirzaie, G., McKinney, A., Palanca, B.J.A., Avidan, M.S., Kelz, M.B. & Mashour, G.A.* (2017) 鈥淣etwork efficiency and posterior alpha patterns are markers of recovery from general anesthesia: A high-density electroencephalography study in healthy volunteers鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00328.
  • Maier, K.L., McKinstry-Wu, A.R., Palanca, B.J.A., Tarnal, V., Blain-Moraes, S., Basner, M., Avidan, M., Mashour, G.A., Kelz, M.B.* (2017) 鈥淧rotocol for the reconstructing human consciousness and cognition study鈥�. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00284.

2016

  • Blain-Moraes, S., Boshra, R., Ma, H.K., Mah, R., Ruiter, K., Avidan, M. Connolly, J.F. & Mashour, G.A.* (2016) 鈥淣ormal brain response to propofol in advance of recovery from unresponsive wakefulness syndrome鈥� Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00248
  • Kim, M., Mashour, G., Blain-Moraes, S., Vanini, G., Tarnal, V., Janke, E., Hudetz, A.G. & Lee, U. (2016) 鈥淔unctional and topological conditions for explosive synchronization develop in human brain networks with the onset of anesthetic-induced unconsciousness鈥� Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience. doi:10.3389/fncom.2016.00001

2015

  • Moon, J., Lee, U., Blain-Moraes, S. & Mashour, G.* (2015) 鈥淕eneral relationship of global topology, local dynamics, and directionality in large-scale brain networks鈥�. PLoS Computational Biology. 11(4):e1004225. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004225.
  • Lee, U., Blain-Moraes, S. & Mashour, G.* (2015) 鈥淎ssessing levels of consciousness with symbolic analysis鈥�. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 373:20140117. .
  • Blain-Moraes, S., Tarnal, V., Vanini, G., Alexander, A., Rosen, D., Shortal, B., Janke, E. & Mashour, G.A.* (2015) 鈥淣europhysiological correlates of sevoflurane-induced unconsciousness鈥�. Anesthesiology. 122(2):307-316. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000000482

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