Dr. Alejandro Lopez Valdes

Assistant Professor, Electronic & Elect. Engineering

Biography

Currently, an Assistant Professor in Neural Engineering and Brain Health affiliated to the School of Engineering and The Global Brain Health Institute. I strive to contribute to the creation of applicable and scalable methods and solutions to support brain health throughout the lifespan. My research focuses on applied neural engineering supporting, aging, sensory dysfunction and cognition. Born in Mexico in 1987, I have a background in biomedical engineering, and specialized in neural engineering. I have industry experience in the fields of ophthalmology surgery medical device service and management, medical device design, and auditory assistive devices research and development. I obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Biomedical Engineering from ITESM in Monterrey, Mexico. Completed my Master's of Science in Bioengineering from the University of Groningen and Trinity College Dublin through the CEMACUBE programme funded by the European Union. I hold a PhD in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, specialized in neural engineering, from Trinity College Dublin. Before joining Trinity College Dublin as faculty, I carried out research in the area of cognitive hearing sciences and brain hearing technologies at Eriksholm Research Centre in Denmark.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Alejandro Lopez Valdes ; Myles Mc Laughlin ; Laura Viani ; Peter Walshe ; Jaclyn Smith ; Fan-Gang Zeng ; Richard B. Reilly, Electrophysiological correlates of spectral discrimination for cochlear implant users, Neural Engineering (NER), 2015 7th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on, Neural Engineering (NER), 2015 7th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on, 22-24 April 2015, 2015, pp671 - 674Conference Paper, 2015, DOI
Leijsen A.M, Lopez Valdes A, McLaughlin M, Smith J, Viani L, Walshe P, Reilly R.B, An approach to develop an objective measure of temporal processing in cochlear implant users based on Schroeder-phase harmonic complexes, International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, NER, 2015, 2015-July, 2015, pp699 - 702Conference Paper, 2015, DOI , URL
Saskia M. Waechter, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Cristina Simoes-Franklin, Laura Viani, Richard B. Reilly, Depth matters - Towards finding an objective neurophysiological measure of behavioral amplitude modulation detection based on neural threshold determination, Hearing Research, 2018, p13-22Journal Article, 2018, DOI , TARA - Full Text
Sechler, S.D., Lopez Valdes, A., Waechter, S.M., Simoes-Franklin, C., Viani, L., Reilly, R.B., Virtual reality sound localization testing in cochlear implant users, Proceedings of Neural Engineering (NER), 2017 8th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on, Neural Engineering (NER), 2017 8th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on, 2017, pp379-382Conference Paper, 2017, DOI
Thomas Lunner, Martin Skoglund, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Bhuiyan Tanveer, 'SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING ELECTROOCULOGRAPHY SIGNALS', European Patent Office, EP3417775B1, 2018, 30 January 2024, Oticon A/SPatent, 2018, URL
Pontoppidan Niels Henrik, Memic Anida, Johansen Benjamin, Wang Yang, Thorén Elisabet Sundewall Petersen, Michael Kai Petersen, Eline Borch, Griful Sergi Rotger, Tietz Lukas, Lopez Valdes Alejandro, Hietkamp Renskje K, Westergård Bo, Laplante-Lévesque Ariane, Cleveland Nielsen Annette, Bramsløw Lars, Meedom Niels Henrik, Bhuiyan Tanveer, 'HEARING AID SYSTEM', European Patent Office, EP3432606, 2018, 30 January 2024, Oticon A/SPatent, 2018, URL
Myles McLaughlin, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Richard Reilly, Fan-Gang Zeng, 'Single channel cochlear implant artifact attenuation in late auditory evoked potentials', United States Patent and Trademark Office, US20160008598, 2014, 30 January 2024, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA THE PROVOST, FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLINPatent, 2014, URL
Jorge Armando Cortes Ramirez, Edgar Francisco Rios Soltero, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, 'CONTROLLABLE BRAKING AND DAMPENING DEVICE FOR ROTATING HINGES', Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, MX/a/2008/015025, 2008, 30 January 2024, INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO Y DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE MONTERREYPatent, 2008, URL
Simões-Franklin, C., Flood, I., Sechler, S., Lopez-Valdes, A., Waechter, S.M., Thapa, J., Glynn, F., Walshe, P., Reilly, R.B., Viani, L., Sequential bilateral implantation in older children: Inter-implant map differences and their effects on functional outcomes, Clinical Otolaryngology, 2020Journal Article, 2020
Thomas Lunner, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Henrik Bendsen, Claus Christensen, Peter Schmidt, Ole Andersen, Mikkel Nielsen, Tanveer Bhuiyan, 'A portable system for gathering and processing data from EEG, EOG, and/or imaging sensors', United States of America, 2021, 30 January 2024, Oticon S/APatent, 2021, URL
Carta S, Mangiacotti AMA, Valdes AL, Reilly RB, Franco F, Di Liberto GM., The impact of temporal synchronisation imprecision on TRF analyses., Journal of neuroscience methods, 385, 2023, p109765Journal Article, 2023, DOI
Sara Solis-López, Aníbal Gutiérrez-Torres, Alejandro López-Valdés, José Alberto Ávila-Funes, Carmen García-Peña, Brian Lawlor, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Age-friendly initiatives: Mexico, The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL
Boenitz Hanna, Lunner Thomas, Finke Mareike, Fiedler Lorenz, Lyxell Bjoern, Riis Soeren Kamaric, Ng Elaine, Valdes Alejandro Lopez, Buechner Andreas, Wendt Dorothea, How Do We Allocate Our Resources When Listening and Memorizing Speech in Noise? A Pupillometry Study, Ear and hearing, 42, (4), 2021, p846 - 859Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL
Farrell Sean, Valdes Alejandro Lopez, 'The Mind' promotes brain synchronization: an ecological evaluation of brain synchronization in co-operative tasks, 2023, 2023, pp1 - 4Conference Paper, 2023, DOI , URL
Manjarrez Elias, Curia Giulia, Stecina Katinka, Lopez Valdes Alejandro, Editorial: Bridging the gap between integrative neuroscience and translational neuroscience, Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 17, 2023, p1296701-Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL
Correia Guilherme, Crosse Michael, Lopez Valdes Alejandro, Brain Wearables: Validation Toolkit for Ear-Level EEG Sensors, 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI , URL
Origin and Dynamics of Biomedical Signals in, editor(s)Ahad, Md Atiqur Rahman; Ahmed, Mosabber Uddin , Signal Processing Techniques for Computational Health Informatics, Springer International Publishing, 2021, [Nahiyan, K. M. Talha; Arefin, A. S. M. Shamsul; Rabbani, Mamun; Lopez Valdes, Alejandro]Book Chapter, 2021, URL
Ignacio Calderon De Palma, Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Effects of spectral and temporal modulation degradation on intelligibility and cortical tracking of speech signals, INTERSPEECH, Dublin, Ireland, 20-24 August 2023, edited by International Speech Communication Association , 2023Conference Paper, 2023, URL
Moguilner S, Baez S, Hernandez H, Migeot J, Legaz A, Gonzalez-Gomez R, Farina FR, Prado P, Cuadros J, Tagliazucchi E, Altschuler F, Maito MA, Godoy ME, Cruzat J, Valdes-Sosa PA, Lopera F, Ochoa-Gómez JF, Hernandez AG, Bonilla-Santos J, Gonzalez-Montealegre RA, Anghinah R, d'Almeida Manfrinati LE, Fittipaldi S, Medel V, Olivares D, Yener GG, Escudero J, Babiloni C, Whelan R, Güntekin B, Y"r"ko"ullar" H, Santamaria-Garcia H, Lucas AF, Huepe D, Di Caterina G, Soto-Añari M, Birba A, Sainz-Ballesteros A, Coronel-Oliveros C, Yigezu A, Herrera E, Abasolo D, Kilborn K, Rubido N, Clark RA, Herzog R, Yerlikaya D, Hu K, Parra MA, Reyes P, García AM, Matallana DL, Avila-Funes JA, Slachevsky A, Behrens MI, Custodio N, Cardona JF, Barttfeld P, Brusco IL, Bruno MA, Sosa Ortiz AL, Pina-Escudero SD, Takada LT, Resende E, Possin KL, de Oliveira MO, Lopez-Valdes A, Lawlor B, Robertson IH, Kosik KS, Duran-Aniotz C, Valcour V, Yokoyama JS, Miller B, Ibanez A., Brain clocks capture diversity and disparities in aging and dementia across geographically diverse populations., Nature medicine, 2024Journal Article, 2024
Guilherme Correia; Michael J. Crosse; Alejandro Lopez Valdes, 'Validation toolkit for Ear-Level EEG sensors', 2024, -Software, 2024, DOI , URL
Mc Laughlin M, Lopez Valdes A, Reilly RB, Zeng FG, Cochlear implant artifact attenuation in late auditory evoked potentials: A single channel approach., Hearing research, 302, 2013, p84-95Journal Article, 2013, DOI
Lopez-Valdes, A., McLaughlin, M., Viani, L., Walshe, P., Smith, J., Zeng, F.-G., Reilly, R.B., Auditory mismatch negativity in cochlear implant users: A window to spectral discrimination, Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Osaka; Japan, 3-7 July, IEEE, 2013, pp3555-3558Conference Paper, 2013, DOI
Lopez Valdes A, Mc Laughlin M, Viani L, Walshe P, Smith J, Zeng FG, Reilly RB, Objective assessment of spectral ripple discrimination in cochlear implant listeners using cortical evoked responses to an oddball paradigm., PloS one, 9, (3), 2014, pe90044Journal Article, 2014, DOI , TARA - Full Text

Connelly JP, Boland Erin, Buckley Brenda, Curley Niall, Refaie Amr El, Galvin Miriam, Gibb Matthew, Graham Liz, Lennon Brendan, Valdes Alejandro Lopez, Mullally Anne-Michelle, Muller Nicole, Nolan-Palmer Janice, O'Nolan Gerald, O'Reilly Ciara, Rezk Valeria Raaft, Rochford-Brennan Helen, Tobin Katy, Tormey Helen, Trepel Dominic, Leroi Iracema, SENSE-Cog Residential Care: Hearing and vision support for residents with dementia in long-term care in Ireland: Protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial, 2023, -Miscellaneous, DOI , URL
Carta Sara, Alickovic Emina, Zaar Johannes, Lopez Valdes Aleiandro, Di Liberto Giovanni, Cortical over-representation of phonetic onsets of ignored speech in hearing impaired individuals, 2023, -Miscellaneous, DOI , URL
Alejandro Lopez Valdes, Low-cost Trigger Box for EEG recordings, 2024, -Miscellaneous, DOI , URL

My research interests focus on applied neural engineering supporting, aging, sensory dysfunction and cognition. Aiming to help better understand changes in brain health as individuals move through their life. By including contextual information to capture the nuances of individual lifestyles and allow for individualized approaches to brain health. This would facilitate early detection of cognition difficulties before they become acute and support a healthy brain ageing.

Electrical engineering, Health services and systems, Medical and biomedical engineering, Clinical and health psychology, Public health, Other engineering and technologies, Control engineering, mechatronics and robotics, Neurosciences,

Recognition

Awards and Honours
Memberships

Demant Annual Innovation Challenge Winner January 2019
TCD Alumni Trust Fund: Neural Engineering Outreach and Teaching funding (11,325.00 EUR) 27 November 2023
Demant Annual Innovation Challenge Winner January 2018
Collin Cherry Award January 2016
William Demand Foundation and SFI Co-Funded, Co-Investigator Grant. Investigating attention switching in realistic listening scenarios. (170,686.08 EUR) April 2022
Trinity Research Doctorate Award (College Award) (PhD Student Fees and Stipend) 01 September 2024
Trinity Research Doctorate Award (School Award) (PhD Student Fees and Stipend) 01 September 2024
3rd Prize Thesis-in-3 presentation at the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering Winter Symposium October 2015
HEA Graduate Research in Education Programme Scholarship (Full PhD Scholarship) 01/09/2012
William Demant Foundation Co-Investigator Grant. Implementation of hearing aid signal processing strategies on hierarchical cortical processing of speech. (13,388.35 EUR) 01/09/2022
CEMACUBE Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (Full MSc Scholarship) 01/09/2010
Engineers Ireland Biomedical Research Medal Finalist January 2016
Travel Grant Award for the 36th Association for Research in Otorhinolaryngology (ARO) Midwinter Meeting October 2015

IEEE Young Professionals
IEEE Senior Member
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society