Sliman Bensmaia was a neuroscientist and leading expert on the sense of touch who developed technology that allows prosthetic limbs to sense temperature and touch in a realistic way.
- Died: August 11, 2023 (Who else died on August 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Chicago at the age of 49.
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Sliman Bensmaia’s legacy
As a college student at the University of Virginia, Bensmaia studied computer engineering and cognitive science, but in truth, was a talented pianist who wanted to be a musician. Later in life, he formed a jazz funk band, FuzZz, with fellow neuroscientists and released an album in 2013. However, his parents urged him to continue his science education, so he went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to earn his doctorate in cognitive psychology with a minor in neurobiology. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellow at the Krieger Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
Bensmaia’s groundbreaking work began when he joined the University of Chicago faculty in 2009. His research led to breakthroughs on how sensory inputs made their way through the nervous system and brain, guiding our perception of the world. Bensmaia and his lab partners published major studies in 2013 and 2015 that led to huge advancements in prosthetic technology. Specifically, it allowed prosthetic limbs to process and “feel” temperature and pressure, and then transmit that information to amputees in a way that felt more natural and organic. In 2016, he worked with partners at the University of Pittsburgh to develop the first robotic prosthetic device that could be controlled by thought and provide a realistic sense of touch. A patient later used the device to shake the hand of President Barack Obama.
Bensmaia continued his work at the University of Chicago, researching and developing technology to improve robotic hands, assist spinal cord injury victims, and more. In 2022, he began working with gynecologist Dr. Stacy Lindau and biomaterials engineer Dr. Sihong Wang to develop artificial breasts for mastectomy patients that would restore sensation to the area.
His career was dotted with accolades, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Biological Sciences Division in 2015 and being named the James and Karen Frank Family Professor in 2019 at the University of Chicago, as well as being selected as a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2018. He also continued to pursue music, performing regularly around Chicago for 12 years with FuzZz.
Tributes to Sliman Bensmaia
Full obituary: University of Chicago Medicine
