Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek speaks with Ali Samiian , founder of Poplar Access Advisors , about one of the most overlooked challenges in neurotechnology and medical devices: reimbursement. Ali has spent over 20 years working across pharma, medical devices, and neuromodulation, including leadership roles at Abbott, Novartis, and Cala Health, where he helped...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek speaks with Ellyn Ito , CEO and co-founder of Innerstill Health , about their wearable neurotechnology platform and flagship product, MindVibe. This non-invasive device combines vagus nerve stimulation and acupressure-based neuromodulation to help regulate the body's stress response and improve overall wellness. Ellyn shares how...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek speaks with Dr. Christian Iorio-Morin , functional neurosurgeon and professor at the Université de Sherbrooke , about the evolving landscape of neurosurgery—from treating movement disorders and chronic pain to pushing the boundaries of paralysis recovery. Christian shares insights from his clinical work using gamma knife surgery...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek sits down with  Omari Bouknight , CEO of Resonant Link Medical , to explore how advances in wireless power transfer are reshaping the future of implantable medical devices. Omari shares how traditional power limitations have historically constrained device design—and how Resonant Link Medical's technology is turning power into a...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek sits down with Francesco Petrini, co-founder and CEO of SensArs, to discuss how intraneural stimulation could help restore sensation in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Francesco explains how loss of feeling in the feet can lead to unnoticed injuries, chronic wounds, and even amputations - and why rebuilding sensory feedback c...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek sits down with Dr. Ignacio Sáez , neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , whose lab uses intracranial brain recordings to study the biology of human cognition. Ignacio shares how cutting-edge neurotechnology like iEEG can reveal the neural dynamics behind decision-making, risk, memory, and brain states -...

In this solo episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Dr. Ladan Jiracek shares the story behind finally completing his PhD at the University of Florida - from the highs of passing his dissertation defense to the long, frustrating, and deeply technical journey of developing liquid crystal polymer (LCP)-based neural implants. I break down why LCP is so promising for long-term implantable devices,...

In this episode, Paul Goode (Glucotrack) dives into the next wave of continuous glucose monitoring: an active, fully implantable CGM designed to deliver long-term, pacemaker-style reliability without external wearables. We discuss first-in-human progress, why implantables may change diabetes care at home, and a fascinating neural angle—how similar chemistry and form factors could be adapted to epi...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, I speak with Fabio Boi , Co-Founder and CSO of Corticale , an Italian neurotech company that is redefining the landscape of brain-computer interfaces. Corticale is pioneering a new generation of minimally invasive, CMOS-based neural implants that can record from thousands of neurons simultaneously—introducing their flagship technology, SiNAPS. Fabio w...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, we sit down with Ben Woodington , co-founder of Coherence Bio , a groundbreaking medical technology company pioneering a new frontier in cancer treatment. By integrating neurotechnology, neurobiology, and machine learning, Coherence is building a platform that doesn't just fight cancer—it manages it in real time. Ben shares how Coherence is moving bey...

In this episode, we dive into the world of European intellectual property and medtech innovation with Dr. Christian Wende , a German and European Patent Attorney specializing in medical technology at DTS . With a background in mechanical engineering, a Ph. D. in liver dialysis research, and a Master of Laws in European IP law, Christian brings a rare and powerful combination of technical, legal, a...

In this special episode recorded after the workshop in Barcelona, I talk with Nicolas Barabino and Antoni Ivorra , two of the key organizers behind the 2025 Active Implantable Medical Devices (AIMD) Workshop . We dive into the vision behind this growing event, which brings together top researchers, engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to explore the cutting edge of implantable medical devices....

In this episode, we sit down with Chad Andresen , Chief Business Officer of Lunosa , to explore a groundbreaking approach to treating obstructive sleep apnea. Lunosa is developing a self-expanding, injectable neurostimulator that aims to replace invasive facial surgeries with a minimally invasive, high-impact solution — tapping into a $10 billion market. Chad also reflects on his time at Stimwave...

In this special on-location episode recorded in Leuven, Belgium, we sit down with the co-founders and technical leaders of ReVision Implant — Frederik Ceyssens (CEO), Maarten Schelles (CTO), and Laurens Goyvaerts (CSO). The team shares their journey developing a high-density, intracortical visual prosthesis aimed at restoring vision for the blind. From developing reliable insertion technology to a...

In this episode, we speak with Julio Martinez-Clark , CEO and co-founder of Bioaccess , a contract research organization helping Medtech and Biopharma startups slash months off their clinical timelines. With a focus on Latin America, Bioaccess enables early feasibility and first-in-human trials to be conducted faster, more affordably, and with high-quality data suitable for FDA and EU submissions....

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, we're joined by Nathan Piland , CEO of Nunex , a consulting firm that specializes in helping MedTech companies navigate the complex journey from concept to commercialization. With over two decades of experience across regulatory strategy, product development, and market access, Nathan shares invaluable insights into the critical steps for MedTech star...

In this episode, we welcome Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maurits Ortmanns , a leading expert in ASIC design and professor at the University of Ulm , Germany. With a distinguished career in microelectronics, Dr. Ortmanns has contributed extensively to the development of integrated circuits for biomedical applications. He shares insights into the critical role of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) des...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, we welcome Dr. Eugene Daneshvar, founder of Black Swan Intellectual Property (BSIP), a boutique law firm specializing in intellectual property for neurotech and medtech innovations. With a background in biomedical engineering and law, Eugene has a unique perspective on protecting the cutting-edge ideas that drive the future of healthcare technology. A...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Ladan Jiracek engages in an insightful dialogue with Andreas Forsland , founder and CEO of Cognixion . The discussion covers Cognixion's pioneering augmented reality headset with EEG sensing, designed to enhance communication for individuals with speech and motor challenges. Andreas describes the journey from creating a speech augmentation device...

In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Ladan speaks with David McMillan , the Director of Education Outreach for the Miami Project and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami. They discuss the Miami Project's work, particularly in spinal cord injury research and neuroprosthetics. Topics include clinical trials, combining ther...

I n this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Ladan welcomes Javier Schandy and Nicolas Barabino from Focus , an engineering services company based in Uruguay. They discuss their work in firmware, hardware, and software development for medical devices, emphasizing their specialization in wireless communications and test automation.  They also explain the benefits of contract engineering, th...

Today's guest is Stephen Ho from Blackrock Microsystems. While we've featured Blackrock guests before, Stephen's appearance today is driven by his podcast, Neurratives , where neurotech-inspired movies are reviewed and discussed.       Top 3 Takeaways: " Our goal for the podcast isn't necessarily to be overly technical, requiring a neuroscience degree to understand. We're often deep in the subject...

Eugene Daneshvar is a University of Michigan PhD graduate working on thin film neural implants but has since transitioned into the legal side of things having passed his bar exam and working with Wilson Sonsini as a patent attorney . This interview took almost 2 years to get done but we're glad we were able to do it!       Top 3 Takeaways: "I think the main thing I'll say is you don't undermine yo...

  "Welcome to today's episode! Our guest, Paul Le Floch , co-founder and CEO of Axoft , brings innovation to neural implants. With roots in France and a Harvard PhD, he's leading groundbreaking work. Welcome, Paul!"   Top 3 Takeaways: "It's a good time to ask the question: What if we could develop solutions tailored for this problem instead of borrowing from the semiconductor industry? That's what...

Today's guest is Christine Schmidt who is a University of Florida faculty member and former department share who works in regenerative neural tissue engineering. Top 3 Takeaways: "We're trying to create scaffolds that can be templates for the body to repair itself, to grow around, and ultimately become natural tissue, seamlessly integrating with the body's own." "Other faculty were discouraging. T...