"I wanted to be at a place that valued teaching just as much — if not more — than scholarship. At Bucknell, I don't have to choose between the two."

For Professor Karlo Malaga, biomedical engineering, the journey to Bucknell was shaped by a desire to conduct meaningful research at an institution that also equally valued teaching and mentorship.

Malaga's path into biomedical engineering wasn't always clear. He had always been strong in math and science, so when he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, majoring in electrical engineering seemed like a good fit. 

However, his growing interest in biology and neuroscience made him question his direction. He considered pivoting away from engineering — until an adviser introduced him to biomedical engineering.

In biomedical engineering, Malaga was able to conduct research on deep brain stimulation (DBS), a technique used to treat neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease. It was then that everything clicked. He found his niche.

After earning his bachelor's degree, Malaga continued his education at the University of Michigan. His love of research, along with his enjoyment of tutoring and mentoring, inspired him to pursue a career as a professor. While he had positive experiences as a student at large, research-focused institutions, he had a sense that a smaller educational setting would suit him better as a professor.

"I remember visiting my younger sister at Macalester College, a small liberal arts school in St. Paul, Minn.," he says. "We were walking across campus, and everyone seemed to know each other. It was a completely different environment from what I was used to. It made me realize I wanted to teach at a place where I could form those types of relationships."

This realization led him to Bucknell, where he found the perfect balance between research and teaching. "I wanted to be at a place that valued teaching just as much — if not more — than scholarship," he says. "At Bucknell, I don't have to choose between the two."

Malaga's research — which he continues now at Bucknell — focuses on how electrical stimulation of specific brain regions can manage motor symptoms associated with movement disorders, such as tremors and gait disturbances. Using a combination of neuroimaging and electric field modeling, Malaga analyzes how electrical pulses interact with neural circuits to optimize patient treatment at the individual level.

Professor Karlo Malaga, biomedical engineering, works with student researchers to investigate how deep brain stimulation can improve motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

Most recently, Malaga pinpointed the most effective stimulation targets in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a critical region in Parkinson's treatment. Findings from his lab, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, showed that targeting anterior regions of the STN improves gait-related symptoms to a greater degree, providing clinicians with valuable insights for refining DBS therapy.

At Bucknell, Malaga has worked closely with Geisinger neurosurgeons. He and a team of research students have developed predictive models that help clinicians tailor therapeutic stimulation for each patient. Through this project, Bucknell students have gained valuable access to Geisinger experts — one group of student researchers even had the opportunity to observe a brain surgery in the operating room.

While DBS is a powerful tool for managing neurological disorders, Malaga recognized the need for more accessible, non-invasive methods that would allow undergraduates to participate in hands-on research. This led him to incorporate electroencephalography (EEG) technology into his Bucknell lab, enabling students to study brain activity non-invasively. His team is currently exploring how EEG can be used to develop brain-computer interfaces, including a project where students use EEG signals to control drones.

"Here, at Bucknell, I get to really know my students, mentor them and help them find their own path," he says. "I know first-hand how important that is," he says.