Stephen Plaza

Stephen Plaza is a researcher and engineer with expertise spanning neuroscience, computer vision, and human-computer interaction. He received his PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2008, graduating with a focus on parallel computation and computer systems.

At Janelia Research Campus (HHMI), Stephen served as Manager of the FlyEM Team and Connectome Research Team Leader, where he pioneered methods for reconstructing complete neural connectomes in the fruit fly nervous system. His team produced groundbreaking connectome maps, including the hemibrain connectome with 25,000 neurons and millions of synaptic connections—at the time, the largest dense connectome ever created. His work combined computer vision, machine learning, and high-throughput image analysis to enable neuroscientists to understand complete neural circuits at unprecedented scale.

Currently at Meta Reality Labs, Stephen works on cutting-edge EMG (electromyography) wearable devices that are shaping the future of human-computer interaction. His work focuses on developing innovative technologies that read electrical signals from muscles to enable seamless, intuitive control of devices and virtual environments. This research has applications in augmented reality, virtual reality, and assistive technologies.

Throughout his career, Stephen has combined expertise in signal processing, machine learning, computer vision, and hardware-software integration to tackle complex problems at the intersection of biology and technology.