Zhi-De Deng, PhD
Engineer | Physicist | Neuromodulation Scientist
Full-Time Awesome Person
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About Zhi
Dr. Deng is a neuroengineer who develops computational models and technologies to make brain stimulation more precise and personalized. He directed the Computational Neurostimulation Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, working at the intersection of electrical engineering, computational modeling, and psychiatric neuromodulation.
His work asks what a stimulation device actually does to the brain, and how to make it do the right thing for each patient. His electric field modeling established the fundamental depth–focality tradeoff in transcranial magnetic stimulation and has shaped how researchers, clinicians, and regulators evaluate stimulation devices. In seizure therapy, he has shown that patient-specific electric field modeling can identify the dose underlying both antidepressant response and cognitive side effects; his 2024 JAMA Psychiatry randomized clinical trial compared magnetic seizure therapy with electroconvulsive therapy. He holds multiple patents and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Deng holds degrees in Physics (SB) and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (SB, MEng) from MIT and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, and completed postdoctoral training at Duke University and a research fellowship at NIMH. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and has received two NIMH Director's Awards for scientific innovation.
