Tobias Ruff
PhD, Project Leader
Neural Systems
Tobias Ruff was born in Germany. He joined the IT'IS Foundation in October 2024.
Tobias Ruff joined the IT’IS Foundation in October 2024. He studied chemistry and biochemistry at LMU Munich, and completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, where he investigated the role of FLRT transmembrane receptors in cortical development and retinal circuit formation.
After his PhD, Tobias joined the laboratory of János Vörös at ETH Zurich as a Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)-funded postdoctoral researcher. There, he led interdisciplinary work at the interface of neuroscience, bioelectronics, and neuroengineering to develop a biohybrid neural
interface with living neurons for targeted, high-resolution stimulation of the visual system, with the aim of restoring vision. His work integrated stem cell-derived neural systems, high-density microelectrode arrays, microfluidics, and the fabrication of stretchable electrode arrays.
At the IT’IS Foundation, Tobias’s current focus is on fundamental research related to temporal interference (TI) stimulation. He serves as a bridge between engineering and biology in external and internal collaborations, leading the integration of in vitro neural models and experimental design.Tobias will be working mainly on TI stimulation project and serve as the “biologist interface” for external collaborations.
