This unit integrates engineered biomaterials, brain-on-a-chip platforms, and neuronal network models to study brain function and dysfunction in vitro. Biomaterials and nanotechnologies are developed and functionalized to recreate key features of the neural extracellular matrix and tissue microenvironment, enabling 2D and 3D neuronal cultures with increased physiological relevance. Within these platforms, murine and human neuronal networks, including patient-derived hiPSC neurons, are organized in 2D and 3D configurations and interfaced with micro-electrode array (MEA) systems ranging from tens to thousands of electrodes. MEA-based recordings are used to characterize neuronal activity, connectivity, and emergent network dynamics, to investigate interactions between distinct neuronal populations, and to identify disease-related phenotypes in physiological and pathological conditions. By combining these electrophysiological readouts with patient-specific hiPSC models, the unit identifies underlying cellular and network mechanisms and performs personalized in vitro drug screening, within a mechanism-driven and translational framework for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.