Erkin Seker, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was selected as one of 12 BMES Young Innovators for 2016. His work entitled “Mechanisms of Reduced Astrocyte Surface Coverage in Cortical Neuron-Glia Co-cultures on Nanoporous Gold Surfaces” and co-authored by BMEGG PhD candidate Chris Chapman, will be included in the Young Innovator Issue of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering and will be presented in a special session at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. In this work, the team investigated the underlying mechanisms of how the topography of nonporous gold reduces astrocyte surface coverage (linked to deterioration in electrode performance) while maintaining high neuronal coverage in a cortical primary neuron-glia co-culture model. Congratulations to Chris and Erkin for this accomplishment.