Connectionists: Essex BCI-NE webinar: A fNIRS-based BCI for Human Space Exploration by Dariusz Zapała

[Perdikis, Serafeim]

https://www.linkedin.com/company/essex-bcine-lab/

The Essex BCI-NE Lab invites you to join our next monthly webinar:
A fNIRS-based BCI for Human Space Exploration

Delivered by
Dr Dariusz Zapała
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Poland

The webinar will take place over Zoom on Wednesday, 11th February 2026, at 2pm UK time
RSVP: https://www.linkedin.com/events/essexbci-newebinarspresents-drd7425165445328011265/


Abstract: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are promising for maintaining operational performance in the extreme environment of space, where conventional motor control is frequently impaired and cognitive demands are heightened. The adaptation of BCIs from laboratory environments to spaceflight, however, introduces both physiological and technical challenges. Notably, the redistribution of bodily fluids toward the head in microgravity alters cerebral hemodynamics and may compromise signal quality. The PhotonGrav project, a collaborative initiative with the European Space Agency (ESA), evaluates the feasibility of functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based BCI communication in low Earth orbit (LEO) during the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). By targeting hemodynamic responses in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC), the PhotonGrav project investigates the capacity to decode real-time resting-state and cognitive workload in microgravity. The findings validate the stability of neurovascular coupling in LEO and indicate differences in BCI performance between terrestrial and spaceflight conditions. During his presentation, Dr Zapała will provide an evaluation of the neurophysiological and psychological results and detail the technical refinements required for the deployment of an orbital BCI. Furthermore, he will discuss the broader implications of these findings for the future operational protocols in space exploration.

Speaker Biography: Dariusz Zapała received his PhD in psychology in 2016 from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Poland. Following his doctoral studies, he gained research experience as a visiting scholar at the Laboratory for Neural Injury and Repair at the New York State Department of Health (USA) in 2014–2015, and as a fellow at the International Research Centre for Intelligent Technologies of Brain-Machine Synergy at Hangzhou Dianzi University (China) in 2018–2019. In 2022, he was awarded the "France Excellence SSHN" scholarship by the French government.
Currently, Dr. Zapała serves as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Experimental Psychology at KUL and as the Chief Scientific Officer at the neurotechnology company Cortivision. His interdisciplinary research focuses on the development and application of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), with an emphasis on the psychophysiological mechanisms of movement perception and motor imagery. Throughout his career, he has led research projects funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Science Centre (NCN) and the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR). Dr. Zapała is an active member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) Committee on Neuroscience and Neurpsychology, the Polish Neuroscience Society (PTBUN), and The Psychonomic Society.

The Essex BCI-NE Lab webinars series takes place monthly (usually, on the second or third Wednesday of the month) over Zoom and is open to all. Speakers are invited to talk about their research for 45-50 minutes followed by Q&A.

Where speakers allow it, we record the talks and make them available to everyone on our YouTube channel. You can watch previous talks at: https://www.youtube.com/@essexbcis

If you don’t want to miss our next webinars, please email serafeim.perdikis at essex.ac.uk to ask to be added to our webinars mailing list.

Best wishes,
Simis


Dr Serafeim Perdikis, Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer)
Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering Laboratory
School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
United Kingdom
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