2024 Neurotech Leaders Forum

Embassy Suites, San Francisco Airport Waterfront

November 6-7, 2024

Keynote Speaker
Ray Cohen, CEO, Axonics Inc. Mr. Cohen has served as CEO and member of the board of directors of Axonics since co-founding the company in October 2013. He is an accredited public company director with more than 40 years of experience in leading medical device companies and serving as a board member at a number of private and publicly traded life science companies. From 2010 to 2012, he served as CEO of Vessix Vascular, a venture capital-backed renal denervation company that was acquired by Boston Scientific in November 2012. Previously, Mr. Cohen spent nearly a decade as Chairman and CEO of Nasdaq-listed Cardiac Science Inc., which was ranked as the fourth fastest growing company in the U.S. in 2004. Mr. Cohen currently serves as a Chairman of the board of BioVentrix Inc., a privately-held transcatheter ventricular restoration company focused on treating congestive heart failure patients. From May 2006 to July 2021, Mr. Cohen served on the board of directors at BioLife Solutions, a developer and manufacturer of preservation media for regenerative medicine and for the last 8 years served as Chairman. From June 2013 to April 2020, Cohen served as an independent director, chair of the compensation committee and member of the audit and nominating committees of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Mr. Cohen also previously served on the boards of two companies that were successfully sold in 2017: Zurich-based LifeWatch, sold to Biotelemetry, and Colorado-based Syncroness, Inc., a privately held contract engineering firm, sold to ALTEN Group, a multibillion-dollar French engineering services company.
Carolina Aguilar, CEO and Co-Founder, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics Carolina Aguilar is CEO and Co-Founder of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, a BCI therapeutics company pioneering real time precision neurology through the development of high density graphene brain interfaces with unparalleled decoding resolution and micrometric precision modulation with the mission to decode neural signals to improve people’s lives. She has mor than 20 years of expertise in healthcare out of which she was 13 years in the European headquarters of Medtronic in Switzerland, leading global businesses in brain modulation and diabetes where she managed complex markets and large teams that generated high YoY growth and innovation. Carolina is passionate about creating solutions that improve the outcomes that matter to patients and drive healthcare sustainability. Her leadership in diabetes at the Diabeter clinics contributed to the creation of a Harvard Business School Case at Medtronic. Just recently INBRAIN got FDA breakthrough designation for their innovative neural platform and delivered the world's first application of a graphene-based neural interface in humans. The company also won the Most Innovative Company of the Year in 2022 and the Norrsken IMPACT 100 award in 2023.

Conference Moderators
James Cavuoto, Editor and Publisher, Neurotech Reports James Cavuoto is editor and publisher of Neurotech Business Report and the founder of Neurotech Reports. He is the lead author of "The Market for Neurotechnology," and "The Market for Bioelectronic Medicine," two market research reports published by Neurotech Reports. Cavuoto was the founder of Micro Publishing Press, Inc., a publishing company that helped pioneer the market for electronic publishing, digital imaging, and computer graphics. He holds a degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he studied under pioneers in the field of functional electrical stimulation. He has also studied human factors engineering at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Cavuoto spent three years as a member of the technical staff at Hughes Aircraft Company in Los Angeles, where he worked on simulation, training, and publication products produced for the U.S. Department of Defense. Cavuoto was an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and the author of eight books on computer graphics, electronic publishing, and digital imaging. He is a member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. He has authored a chapter in the textbook Neuromodulation (Elsevier, 2009), as well as articles in Neuromodulation, Journal of Neural Engineering, Medical Device Daily, IEEE Spectrum, MX magazine, and the International Journal of Medical Marketing. He is coauthor, with Jennifer French, of Bionic Pioneers: Brave Neurotech Users Blaze the Trail to New Therapies (Neurotech Press, 2014).
Jeremy Koff, Senior Consulting Editor, Neurotech Reports Mr. Koff is senior consulting editor for Neurotech Reports and president of Colibri Partners Inc., a strategic and marketing consulting firm with a primary focus in the medical device sector. The company offers services related to market and risk analysis, clinical and technology assessments, business plan development, business/financial modeling, and market research. Mr. Koff has nearly 20 years of global experience in the medical device industry with companies including Advanced Bionics Corp., Boston Scientific, MiniMed Inc., Bioness Inc, and many others. His business plans have attracted tens of millions in start-up capital. Mr. Koff holds a Bachelor's degree in biology from Middlebury College, a Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University, and an MBA from UCLA. He is an active classically-trained musician, supporter of the arts, and is a board member of the Fender Music Foundation.
Jo Jo Platt, Senior Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports Jo Jo Platt brings more than 10 years experience as a neurotechnology consulant to Neurotech Reports. As the founder and president of Platt & Associates, she has helped leadership identify new opportunities, transform organizations, and build teams from the ground up. Most recently, she was a strategic development consultant for the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, where she helped identify and establish strategic partnerships in the emerging field of bioelectronic medicine and was instrumental in the launch of the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine. Previously, Jo Jo communications director for eDigital, where she managed all internal and external communications and built braand recognition through tradeshows and consumer events. Platt holds a bachelor's degree in communication and media studies from National University. She is currently the finance chair for the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Neural Engineering 2019 meeting.
Sharena Rice, Ph.D., Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports Sharena Rice is a research scientist at a medical technology startup in neurotech that is operating in stealth mode. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Michigan, where she was part of the team that discovered and characterized a new brain wave called “splines.” For three years, Sharena facilitated ethics discussions for incoming biomedical science trainees at the University of Michigan. For two years, Sharena served as co-founder and chief scientific officer of Intvo when the company was using computer vision to predict pedestrian behavior as a road safety solution. Sharena has a longtime fascination with the nervous system and the mind. She wrote a 45-page documentary on human behavior out of curiosity during eighth grade. She serves as scientific advisor for Valence Vibrations, Nerd (Advising Consultant) of Nobody Studios, and is on the advisory board of South by Southwest.

Panelists and Presenters
Jordi Parramon, Ph.D., General Partner, Nexus NeuroTech Ventures Jordi Parramon is General Partner and co-founder of Nexus NeuroTech Ventures. Prior to this role, Jordi served as President, Medical Devices at Verily Life Sciences (Alphabet’s healthcare company, formerly Google Life Sciences), where he was responsible for leading Verily’s Medical Devices business, combining hardware, software, and AI/ML to create differentiated and clinically validated solutions for Verily’s clinical research products and healthcare products, as well as external research and commercial partnerships and joint ventures. Before joining Verily, Jordi spent twelve years at Boston Scientific, ultimately serving in the role of Director of R&D, Neuromodulation, bringing to market various generations of implantable products for the Chronic Pain (Spinal Cord Stimulator) as well as the Movement Disorders/Parkinson’s Disease (Deep Brain Stimulator) franchises. Jordi started his career at Advanced Bionics where he was a key contributor on advanced technology for neuromodulation. Jordi holds 200+ worldwide patents with 60+ distinct patent families and earned a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Physics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Suraj Mudichintala, Senior Associate, Action Potential Venture Capital Suraj Mudichintala is a senior associate at Action Potential Venture Capital. He represents the firm on the boards of Axon Therapies and Alpheus Medical as an observer. He was previously an investor at Arboretum Ventures, where he served as a Board observer for Allay Therapeutics, Avation Medical, Francis Medical, Health Scholars, Koya Medical, and RareCyte. Prior to investing, Suraj was an associate with L.E.K. Consulting, a global strategy consulting firm. While at L.E.K., Suraj completed more than 20 engagements predominantly for life sciences and private equity clients.
Alexander Yeh, Ph.D., Founder and CTO, Neuspera Medical Alexander Yeh is Founder, CTO, and Vice Presidentof Neuspera Medical Inc. Alex founded Neuspera to translate the work he advanced during his Ph.D. candidacy at Stanford University on wireless powering of implantable devices. At Neuspera, this fundamental technology has been adapted to clinical use under his leadership.  His areas of specialty include implantable medical device development, wireless power transfer, neurophysiology, RFIC design, wireless communications, and semiconductor packaging.  Alex has an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University in electrical engineering, and has a B.S. in electrical engineering and B.A. in economics from University of California – Los Angeles. He is named in over 150 patents, patent applications, and academic papers related to implantable medical devices. He also serves on the board of Greenliant Systems, Ltd, a leading global supplier of solid-state storage solutions for industrial, automotive, and medical applications.
Nandan Lad, M.D., Ph.D., Vice Chair of Innovation, Duke Neurosurgery Nandan Lad, MD, PhD is a neurosurgeon, scientist, and innovator, serving as a Professor of Neurosurgery and Vice Chair of Innovation at Duke Neurosurgery. Dr. Lad leads the Duke Neuromodulation Program with the belief that multidisciplinary approaches are key to enhancing patient outcomes. Working with teams at the forefront of medtech and digital health innovation, Dr. Lad is committed to developing and utilizing cutting-edge technologies to treat pain, movement disorders, and a variety of complex neurological conditions. He believes in a blend of personalized care and advanced technological solutions, aiming to not only alleviate symptoms but also significantly improve quality of life and restore function for his patients.
Victor Pikov, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Medipace, Inc. Victor Pikov is a co-founder and CEO of Medipace Inc, a startup developing implantable neuromodulation therapies for auto-immune intestinal diseases. Victor previously worked at Galvani Bioelectronics and GlaxoSmithKline, where he oversaw development and testing of implantable pulse generators and stimulation leads for several clinical applications, including auto-immune and metabolic diseases. At the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Victor developed neural interfaces for various chronic diseases, such as infertility, bladder paralysis, bladder spasticity/hyperreflexia, hearing and vision loss, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and obesity. At the California Institute of Technology, Victor developed optogenetic viral vectors for neuronal stimulation. Victor has several patent applications for implantable neural interfaces, closed-loop neuromodulation therapies, and non-invasive glucose measurement.
Craig Mermel, President, Precision Neuro President and chief product officer Mermel is a pathologist trained in the study of cancer genomics and has spent his career at the intersection of big data and life sciences. He was previously at Google, where he led a team exploring the use of artificial intelligence to diagnose and treat cancer. Before that, he spent four years at Apple, helping to develop health and fitness features for the Apple Watch. With Ben Rapoport, he co-founded the digital health company Simbionics, acquired by Apple in 2014. He holds an M.D. and Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University.
Vikash Gilja, Chief Scientific Officer, Paradromics Vikash Gilja is the Chief Scientific Officer of Paradromics. Vikash is a leading researcher in BCI-based computer control. He has served as an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego and as principal investigator on NIH and NSF funded research programs. His research develops BCIs that enable motor-impaired individuals to communicate and control computers and prosthetic devices. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University. As a research associate at Stanford, he was a founding member of the Neural Prosthetics Translational Laboratory and worked to translate his graduate work to clinical application. Vikash was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the NDSEG Fellowship. He was previously a founding employee of Neuralink.
Marcus Gerhardt, Co-Founder, Blackrock Neurotech Marcus is an entrepreneur and investment advisor focused on innovation technologies and alternative investment markets. In 1999, Marcus helped set up his first start-up, Mondus, a pioneering ecommerce platform. As Managing Director UK, he oversaw the growth of the company to 145 employees. He coordinated several funding rounds, raising in excess of $170 million, providing shareholders with a 10-fold exit through a trade sale to Seat Pagine Gialle. Subsequently, Marcus co-founded BBI, which advises technology companies on funding, commercialization and growth, strategies. He holds various board and advisory positions at companies such as ComoneaPro. Marcus has an MPhil from Oxford University.
Katherine Neuenfeldt, Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategies, Presidio Medical Katherine is Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategies at Presidio Medical where she leads Marketing, Market Access, Pipeline Indications, and Clinical Strategy. Katherine has 20 years of experience commercializing implantable medical devices. Before Presidio, she was the Vice President of Market Access at Nevro, and led the Market Access and Marketing functions as Nevro grew from a small, private company to a disruptive and established player. She also led multiple high-profile product launches while at Medtronic Endovascular and previously held roles at Johnson & Johnson, HealthTech, and Triage Consulting Group. Katherine received a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, a M.S. in Epidemiology and Clinical Research from the Stanford School of Medicine, and an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Mark Domyahn, Partner, JD Lymon Mark has committed his 25+ year career entirely to the health care industry with the vast majority focused on medical technology, provider reimbursement, and health economics. Prior to joining JD Lymon, Mark founded Pursuance Consulting, a reimbursement and health economics consulting practice. As a consultant with JD Lymon and Pursuance Consulting, Mark has developed reimbursement strategies and executed implementation plans for numerous products for medical device and pharmaceutical companies ranging in size from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Direct results of Mark’s efforts include establishing payment levels for technologies prior to FDA approval, securing multiple new technology payments from Medicare, creating new CPT and HCPCS codes and engaging CMS, physician societies and other interested stakeholders to support overall reimbursement for a variety of technologies. Mark has also served in reimbursement related leadership positions at medical device companies, including Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, Restore Medical, CardioMEMS, and Zimmer. In those roles, he had success in formulating and executing reimbursement and health economic strategies for multiple therapy areas including heart failure, cardiology, neuromodulation, orthopedics, and sleep disorders. Mark holds an MBA from the Wharton School, and a B.S. in accounting from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. He is a frequent presenter regarding reimbursement and health economic strategy and implications across the U.S.
Jon Ruais, Former Chief Market Development and Strategy Officer, Nalu Medical Jon Ruais has over 15 years of commercial leadership experience in the medical technology industry and has been a driving force in advancing peripheral nerve stimulation therapies. He served as a nuclear trained submarine officer in the United States Navy and then transitioned into the med tech space, including pivotal roles at St. Jude Medical and Thoratec, where he led global marketing and strategic initiatives. Most recently he was the Chief Market Development and Strategy Officer at Nalu Medical. Jon’s expertise in chronic pain therapy marketing and commercial operations has significantly contributed to the development of innovative solutions for chronic pain.
Manfred Franke, Ph.D., Founder, NeuronOff Inc. Manfred Franke is an entrepreneur with an extensive research background, developing class II and III medical devices to restore and improve organ function using minimally-invasive neuromodulation. Prior to founding NeuronOff, Franke worked at Oculeve (acquired by Allergan) and Boston Scientific neuromodulation, conceiving and developing implantable and topical neuromodulation devices. He is the lead inventor on 90 of 130 patent applications, of which 24 have been granted so far. Franke obtained his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.
Lawrence Poree, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Anesthesia, UCSF School of Medicine Lawrence Poree holds the position of clinical professor in the department of anesthesia at the University of California at San Francisco, where he serves as the director of the neuromodulation service. Dr. Poree began his neuromodulation career as a basic science researcher at UC Berkeley where he investigated the analgesic properties of CNS hormones as part of his doctoral thesis. He continued his research in neuromodulation at Johns Hopkins University in the department of biomedical engineering, where he investigated the neural pathways involved in spinal cord stimulation and the sympathetic nervous system. He decided to apply his research to medical practice and enrolled at Stanford University where he earned his medical degree and completed his residency in anesthesia while continuing to conduct research on the analgesic properties of alpha-2 agonists. He then completed an interventional pain fellowship at UCSF. He founded and served as medical director of a private practice comprehensive pain management clinic for the next 15 years. During this time, he consulted for various neuromodulation companies in the development of novel neuromodulation devices. He returned to academia to head the neuromodulation program at the UCSF Pain Management Center. For the past eight years, he has served on the North American Neuromodulation Society board of directors. He also serves on the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the International Neuromodulation Society board of directors.
Scott Stanslaski, Sr. Distinguished Engineer, Medtronic Scott Stanslaski is a Bakken Fellow in Neuromodulation at Medtronic PLC, the world’s largest medical device manufacturer. In that role, Scott helps design next generation circuit and algorithm technologies for the treatment of chronic neurological disease. Scott has been working on design of implantable products and algorithm development at Medtronic for 29 years. 13 of those years were spent in the cardiac business designing pacing and defibrillation devices. The last 16 have been spent in Neuromodulation working on design of implantable brain sensing devices. This work has led to the first demonstration of closed loop adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in an implanted device in a Parkinsonian patient. Scott received a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering at The University of Minnesota. He is currently working towards completion of a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota.
Brett Wingeier, Ph.D., Vice President, R&D, NeuroPace Brett Wingeier, PhD, is a biomedical engineer, neuroscientist, and R&D leader with 20+ years of experience in bringing complex, data-driven neurotech to market across multiple indications and platforms. Dr. Wingeier is currently vice-president of Research and Development at NeuroPace, a publicly-traded neuromodulation company focusing on responsive brain stimulation for treatment of epilepsy. Previously, he served as CEO and co-founder of Magnus Medical, bringing to market the SAINT technology for data-driven, individually-targeted treatment of major depression, and CTO of Halo Neuroscience, where he created Halo Sport, a non-invasive wearable neuromodulation platform for human performance applications. Holding a BSE and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, Dr. Wingeier has published research in biosignals and neural interfaces and is a U.S. registered patent agent with more than 70 issued patents.
Martin Schuttler, CTO, CorTec GmbH Martin Schüttler studied electrical engineering at the University of Braunschweig. His dissertation discussed nerve intersections processed using microsystems engineering. Since the completion of his PhD in 2002, and with more than 150 publications, he has earned an international reputation in the field of neuroprosthetics. After several research periods abroad, he became team leader at the Department of Microsystems Engineering, chaired by Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz, and one of the leading scientists at the BMII in Freiburg. In this role he was involved in the development of the CorTec technology right from the start. At CorTec he is responsible for the coordination of all developmental work.
Liron Nunez Weissman, CEO Corundum Neuroscience Liron is the CEO at Corundum Neuroscience. Before being named CEO in December 2021, Liron served as CNS’s VP Product Development and VP Portfolio Success. Prior to CNS, Liron was the CTO of Beyond Mobility, where he evaluated startups for investment, and built and managed the service offering for the company’s corporate clients. Before that, Liron headed the CTO office at Consumer Physics, where he was responsible for pushing the envelope of the SCiO device beyond its existing application, as well as expanding target markets. He also led a program at Consumer Physics focused on embedding the SCiO device in the mobile phone. Prior to this role, Liron was part of the founding team of Pearls of Wisdom, where he served as VP Development. Earlier in his career, Liron led R&D in various disciplines and areas of technology, where he enjoyed rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty in the actual development process as much as possible. Liron holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics, from the Hebrew University, as part of the Talpiot honors program.
Emily Mirro, President and Co-Founder, SynchNeuro Emily Mirro is the President and Co-Founder of SynchNeuro, a company developing a noninvasive, brain signal-based metabolic health wearable for consumers. She has more than 25 years of experience in cardiac and neuro med device companies. Prior to co-founding SynchNeuro, Emily was one of the initial employees at NeuroPace, where she worked in various medical affairs and clinical engineering roles over her 22 years with the company. She has published research on various topics related to EEG, neuromodulation and business. She holds an MBA and M.S. in Strategic Management from Indiana Kelley School of Business.
Asheesh Divetia, Ph.D., General Manager, Cirtec Medical Asheesh Divetia is the general manager at Cirtec Medical, a strategic outsourcing partner for complex medical devices including active implants and interventional devices. With more than 20 years of experience in medical devices, Asheesh has a proven track record of driving strategic growth, fostering innovation, and delivering high-quality engineering and manufacturing solutions. Asheesh holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of California Irvine and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. He is passionate about technology advancement and creating positive organizational cultures for product development.
Eran Benjamin, Business Development Manager, MST Eran Benjamin has over 25 years of experience in the medical device and high tech industries where he held various leadership positions in the development of a variety of products such as active implantable medical device (BlueWind Medical), life supporting device (GE Healthcare), capsule endoscopy device (Given Imaging / Medtronic), and others. As Micro System Technology’s (MST) Business Development Manager, Eran acts as a venture capitalist, managing MST’s collaboration with companies that develop active implantable medical devices. MST is a privately held company that engages with Class II and III medical device companies in the development, and transfer-to-production of their products.
Uli Gommel, CTO, Neo-Bionica As chief technology officer at Neo-Bionica, Uli leads a team that pioneers the development of life-changing medical device solutions in the neurotech field. By bridging the gap between research and clinical applications, he and his team are able to provide world-class engineering expertise, innovative vision, and leading-edge strategy for the design and development of novel solutions. Uli's passion for engineering has grown over his twenty year career spanning across Europe, Asia and the US with posts at industry leaders including Advanced Bionics, Siemens Healthineers, and now Neo-Bionica. Outside the office, Uli enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the many cultural offerings throughout Los Angeles and California, and celebrating holidays in grand style.

Entrepreneur Presenters
Imanuel Lerman, M.D., CEO, Inflammasense Inc. Imanel Lerman is CEO of Inflammasense Inc. and s a professor in both the Electrical and Computer Engineering and Anesthesiology Departments at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Lerman carries out numerous clinical trials at UC San Diego Medical Center, the Altman Clinical Trial Research Institute, the VA San Diego Healthcare System, the Radiology Imaging Center and in the Jacobs Medical Center. His program is primarily funded by the VA Healthcare System, BARDA, DARPA, and generous foundation support. His work centers on neural sensing technology development (magnetometers, novel electrode arrays), and impact of neural stimulation technologies (e.g. spinal cord stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation, and other central and peripheral nerve stimulation) on inflammation, pain, learning, and mental health disorders. He uses techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, Magnetospinography, inflammatory profiling of cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood; and high resolution evaluation of peripheral autonomic nervous system to better understand the interplay between pain and inflammation in the central and peripheral nervous system, in both healthy and disease states. Dr. Lerman completed a research fellowship through the Center for Stress and Mental Health at the VA San Diego; his clinical fellowship in pain management at Massachusetts General Hospital and his neurology residency at Yale School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he also obtained a master's degree in physiology and biophysics. He is triple board certified in neurology, pain medicine and headache medicine (United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties). Dr. Lerman is a founding board member of the American Interventional Headache Society, faculty and founding member of the Regenerative Medicine special interest group within the American Society of Regional Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and faculty member for the World Academy of Pain Medicine Ultrasonography.
Kial Gramley, Chief Product Officer, Backstop Neural Kial Gramley (MBA, University of Texas – Pan American) is a proud veteran, having honorably served our country overseas. He has a proven track record for developing new technologies including nanofibers and additive manufacturing as well as launching new products in markets ranging from automotive to consumer goods to healthcare. Gramley’s business acumen complements the BackStop Neural team’s core competencies in materials science and neuromodulation, and Gramley has extensive experience with shape memory polymers and modulus sensitive materials, such as those that power core innovations from BackStop Neural.
Pawel Soluch, CEO, Spinally Medical Pawel Soluch is CEO and Co-Founder of Spinally, a company pioneering innovative spinal cord stimulation and recording implants. With more than 20 years of experience in clinical, scientific, and entrepreneurial domains, he is an inventor of outcome-driven medical devices for diagnostics, therapy, and research. He holds eight patents, with five products on the market, one in clinical trials, and two in pre-clinical stages. Recognized for his innovations in medtech and commitment to social responsibility, he is skilled in building companies and teams, fundraising, medical device design, and navigating regulatory and clinical trial processes. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with both neurotechnology startups and major industry players, including Medtronic, Siemens, Philips, and GE.
Jeff Erb, CEO Paxos Medical Jeff has spent more than 20 years in the medical device industry in everything from early-stage start-up companies to the largest medical device company in the world.  He currently serves in executive roles at multiple companies including CEO, Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board. Jeff’s focus is on incubating early-stage companies from idea to proof-of-concept. He previously worked at Medtronic for almost 19 years, serving in multiple senior level roles including Corporate Development, Business Development, Alliance Management, IP Portfolio Management, Strategy and Marketing for Medtronic’s Corporate, Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation sectors. In his last 11 years at Medtronic, Jeff led Strategy and Business Development for Medtronic’s Neuromodulation sector which included Deep Brain Stimulation, Pain Stimulation, Interventional Pain, and Pelvic Health. He has undergraduate degrees in economics and business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Andy Gotshalk, CEO Neurologic Solutions, Inc. Andy Gotshalk is the CEO of Neurologic Solutions, Inc., a startup company dedicated to pioneering advanced analytical solutions that revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of patients afflicted by epilepsy and a spectrum of neurological disorders. Andy is a medical device executive with over 20 years’ experience and most recently was the founder and CEO of Blackrock Neuromed. Blackrock Neuromed was an innovative EEG technology company that developed and commercialized high definition EEG and was acquired by Natus Medical Inc. in 2017. Prior to Blackrock Neuromed, he was the CEO of Blackrock Microsystems where he successfully commercialized research products in the neurophysiology market. Prior to that, Mr. Gotshalk was responsible for sales and operations for the US Surgical Division of Haemonetics Corporation.
Luca Ravagnon, Ph.D., CEO, WISE Srl Dr. Ravagnon co-founded and has been CEO of WISE since 2011. He has long-term experience in basic and applied research in the field of nanotechnology and developed and patented WISE’s proprietary supersonic technology. Since 2019, he has been a member of the management board of the Lombardy’s Life Sciences Cluster and in 2020 he became an Endeavor Entrepreneur. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics and an Executive MBA from SDA Bocconi.
Ludovica Labruna, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Magnetic Tides Ludovica Labruna, PhD, is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur focused on non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). Following two decades of research at UC Berkeley, Dr. Labruna and her team of multidisciplinary scientists founded Magnetic Tides to develop a novel NIBS system designed for maximum efficacy and patient comfort. This project has been supported by an innovation award (EAGER) from the National Science Foundation, an SBIR grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Weill Neurohub Next Great Ideas program. As CEO of Magnetic Tides, Dr. Labruna is focused on the commercialization of kTMP, a technology with the potential to transform the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Amy Baxter, M.D., Founder and CEO, Harmonic Pain Solutions Dr. Baxter pioneered the field of noninvasive neuromodulation using mechanical stimulation for pain relief. Her new company, Harmonic Pain Solutions, is a spin-out of Pain Care Labs, whose devices block pain in 28 countries for over 114 million procedures. After Yale, Emory Medical School, and two fellowships, Dr. Baxter founded Pain Care Labs while practicing emergency pediatrics and creating a research division. When her devices replaced opioid use for a TKA, with two additional Fast-Track SBIRs for low back pain opioid reduction she founded HPS. Accomplishments include pain and sedation textbook chapters, over 25 first-author papers, 12 issued patents, and successful 510(k) FDA clearances for postsurgical and procedural pain. Her academic service spans a decade of NIH Scientific Review Groups for multiple institutes, and the ACEP COVID-19 Field Guide Task Force. Recognition includes Forbes Ten Healthcare Disruptors, Inc. Top Women in Tech to Watch, a Wall Street Journal “Idea Person,” and the Most Innovative CEO from Georgia Bio. Speaking highlights include HHS testimony, Exponential Medicine “Future of Pain Management," TEDMED, and a recently released TED talk on pain neuroscience close to reaching one million views.