Artificial Intelligence > The Navigator

The Navigator

By Alison Caldwell, Ph.D. Photography by Paul Flessland

Before Kai J. Miller, Ph.D., M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, was a clinician, he was a physicist, and a neuroscientist. Because of this, Dr. Miller — who is also a recipient of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Established-Investigator Development Award in Translational Research — embodies the core promise of BIONIC: translating deep scientific understanding directly into patient impact.

“A physicist is somebody who makes observations of the world and then tries to derive simple mathematical descriptions from that,” he says. “Then you learn rules based on those descriptions about how the world works. And our brains are part of the world.”

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Thanks to this multidisciplinary training, he approaches the brain as a physical system whose signals can be measured, modeled and translated into care. His research is focused on understanding brain circuit dynamics by measuring electrical activity via implanted electrodes. In essence, he says, “I develop tools to understand brain signals, and use this to directly help my patients.”

During procedures for epilepsy and other neurological conditions, Dr. Miller and his team record electrical activity directly from the brain. These signals reveal functional boundaries that traditional imaging cannot find — borders between regions that control movement, language, sensation or cognition.

Using advanced algorithms and AI-assisted analysis, the researchers interpret those signals as the surgery happens, generating individualized maps that reflect how that specific person’s brain is organized. These maps can then guide decisions on the patient’s care in the moment, leading to precise, personalized care, and new therapies for brain stimulation.

A physicist is somebody who makes observations of the world and then tries to derive simple mathematical descriptions from that. Then you learn rules based on those descriptions about how the world works. And our brains are part of the world.
— Kai J. Miller, Ph.D., M.D., Ph.D.

In the future, Dr. Miller sees a future where neurosurgery increasingly relies on adaptive models that predict outcomes before interventions occur. Digital representations of a person’s brain, built from real data, can help clinicians choose the safest and most effective path forward.

This work reflects a fundamental shift in how Mayo Clinic approaches brain care. By listening to the brain’s own signals and using them to guide action, Dr. Miller is helping move neurosurgery from approximation toward precision. This approach, grounded in science, sharpened by technology and guided by clinical judgment, illustrates how BIONIC turns deep understanding into safer, more personalized care for people facing serious or complex neurological diseases.