Jonathan C. Kao is an associate professor at UCLA in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with appointments in Computer Science and Neurosciences. He leads the Neural Engineering and Computation Lab, where his team builds brain–computer interfaces and develops methods to decode brain signals using AI and machine learning. Kao earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University under Professor Krishna Shenoy. His research covers neural prostheses, signal processing, and dynamical systems. He has received the NIH New Innovator Award, NSF CAREER Award, and UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award. His work aims to restore independence for people with paralysis.