PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Marco Bonizzato

Marco Bonizzato is an engineer whose AI research uses optimization to personalize neurostimulation for movement recovery. He completes an electrical-engineering PhD at EPFL in 2017 on brain-controlled neuroprosthetic treatment after spinal trauma. His 2018 and 2021 studies connect cortical activity with neural stimulation to support walking after spinal trauma. He receives the 2022 Turnbull-Tator Award for an intracortical neuroprosthesis paper and coauthors 2023 research on autonomous neurostimulation optimization. As of October 2026, he is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, a professor of neuroscience at Université de Montréal, and an associate academic member of Mila.

Now at
Polytechnique Montréal, Mila and sciNeurotech Lab

Timeline

  1. 2017

    An EPFL PhD on neuroprosthetics

    He completes an electrical-engineering PhD at EPFL in 2017 on brain-controlled neuroprosthetic interventions to restore walking after spinal trauma in rats, under S. Micera and G. Courtine.

  2. 2018

    A brain-controlled neuroprosthesis

    In 2018, he coauthors a study that links cortical activity to spinal stimulation; after brief calibration and without prior training, the interface enables paralyzed rats to walk overground and adjust foot clearance.

  3. 2021

    Decoding intent for walking

    In 2021, he coauthors a study that combines deep brain and epidural spinal stimulation in rats with severe spinal trauma. An unsupervised learning algorithm decodes cortical activity to link stimulation to intent to walk.

  4. 2022

    A Turnbull-Tator Award

    He receives the 2022 Turnbull-Tator Award for his coauthored 2021 Science Translational Medicine paper on an intracortical neuroprosthesis that improves walking and leg control after spinal trauma.

  5. 2023

    Autonomous neurostimulation optimization

    In 2023, he coauthors a study showing that artificial intelligence can autonomously optimize stimulation parameters in implanted brain neuroprostheses in animals. The team uses learning algorithms to tune protocols and personalize treatment to each patient's state.

  6. 2025–2026

    A neurotechnology platform

    For the 2025–2026 UNIQUE competition, he serves as principal investigator for the Neurotechnology platform at Université de Montréal.

  7. As of October 2026

    Professorships at Polytechnique and UdeM

    As of October 2026, he is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Polytechnique Montréal and a professor of neuroscience at Université de Montréal. He is an associate academic member of Mila and directs sciNeurotech Lab, which aims to develop AI-personalized neurostimulation therapies for sensorimotor recovery.

Career

  1. Since 2025Université de MontréalPrincipal Investigator, Neurotechnology Platform
  2. NowPolytechnique MontréalAssistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
  3. NowMilaAssociate Academic Member
  4. NowsciNeurotech LabDirector

Education

  1. 2017EPFLPhD in Electrical Engineering

From the biography.

  1. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Université de Montréal. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  2. 20% of people at companies who shape AI also hold a university role, led by Google and Stanford UniversityIncludes Université de Montréal. We estimate that 539 of the 6,766 people with a known current organization (8%) hold both a university role and a company role, including 20% of people at companies and 13% of people at universities.
  3. Universities (31%) and startups and other companies (25%) employ the largest shares of 2020–2026 entrantsIncludes Mila. Among 819 people whose first recorded role started in 2020–2026 and who have a known current organization, 60% work in commercial sectors (25% at startups and other companies, 23% at frontier labs and 13% at big tech, with 9 in two), and 31% work at universities, compared with 66% for earlier entrants.
  4. Companies supply the most prior-work hires at 7 of the 9 frontier AI labsIncludes Mila. Our estimates of the organizations where 550 people worked directly before joining 9 frontier AI labs across 620 career transitions, comparing the main feeder organizations per lab.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Marco Bonizzato yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Brain-controlled neuroprosthetic interventions memento.epfl.ch. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Brain-controlled modulation of spinal circuits nature.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Multi-pronged neuromodulation intervention engages residual motor circuitry nature.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Marco Bonizzato remporte le Prix Turnbull-Tator 2022 - UdeMNouvelles nouvelles.umontreal.ca. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Des neuroprothèses intelligentes pour retrouver la motricité | UdeMNouvelles nouvelles.umontreal.ca. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. 2025-2026 UNIQUE competition: technology platforms unique.quebec. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Marco BONIZZATO - La recherche - Université de Montréal recherche.umontreal.ca. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Marco Bonizzato | Mila mila.quebec. Checked 21 October 2026.