As we continue to make strong progress on our key initiatives, I am excited to announce that Murat Günel, MD, will be joining us as Medical Director for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). Dr. Günel will help lead our BCI efforts, including developing the clinical and surgical programs for our Biohybrid project.
Dr. Günel is the Sterling Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor of Neuroscience and Genetics, and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, at Yale School of Medicine; Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of the Yale New Haven Health System; and Chair of the Yale Medicine Board. He will retain his current academic and clinical positions. He is recognized for his work in cortical development and the genetics of brain disorders, and his research has helped define the field of neurosurgery for the last 30 years.
Dr. Günel joins us as we accelerate the development of our Biohybrid program, following the completion of our recent $230 million Series C fundraising round. Biohybrid uses living neurons as the neural interface rather than rigid silicon and wires, connecting to the brain with more bandwidth than current devices, while avoiding the damage and limitations of conventional hardware.
We are extremely fortunate to have the benefit of Murat’s expertise. To commercialize a BCI like Biohybrid, we have to design a surgical approach that is as sophisticated as the device itself. As we move from the lab to human patients, Murat’s knowledge of complex neurosurgery, and his experience in translating research into surgical strategies that restore function, will be invaluable.
Dr. Günel is also the Co-Director of the Yale Program on Neurogenetics and Director of the Program in Brain Tumor Research. He received his medical degree from Istanbul University and completed his internship and neurosurgical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is a Member of the National Academy of Medicine, and has received numerous distinctions for his contributions to neuroscience and neurosurgery, including the Ralph G. Dacey Medal for Outstanding Cerebrovascular Research from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
We have a great team. I’m excited for what comes next.
