What Are the Practical Considerations for Building a Successful Intracranial EEG and Direct Brain Stimulation Research Program?

Intracranial EEG is performed at a wide range of clinical centers across the world and presents a unique opportunity to directly observe and modulate human brain activity at the speed of cognition. Capitalizing on this opportunity requires specific attention to the practicalities and challenges involved in establishing an effective and efficient intracranial research program. This entails identifying relevant scientific and clinical problems, building interdisciplinary, multi-institution teams that function within the clinical environment—a daunting task even for the most experienced scientists. Finally, we discuss the unique challenges to career advancement for those training in iEEG and brain stimulation. By providing a comprehensive discussion, along with practical recommendations, this chapter hopes to reduce the barriers of entry and maximize success for new investigators entering the field of intracranial research.