Universal Brain Expands Executive Team to Accelerate Precision Psychiatry

Esteemed industry leaders join the company to advance platform that delivers objective measures to better understand, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions.

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Brain, developer of a neuroscience-based personalized treatment and diagnostic platform pioneering precision psychiatry, today announced the expansion of its executive team. The company, which recently closed a $3.2 million seed round, will leverage the key additions to its executive team to accelerate the development and rollout of its comprehensive platform to aid the diagnosis and treatment of depression and other mental health conditions.

Universal Brain Founder and CEO Dr. Kazu Okuda, an M.D. and mental health innovator, has appointed Greg Hajcak, Ph.D., as the company's Chief Scientific Advisor. Vangelis Lympouridis, Ph.D., will serve as Chief Product Officer, and K.T. Venkateswara-Rao, Ph.D., assumes the role of Head of Operations.

Universal Brain is developing the first and only platform to deliver objective, industry-defining measures to better understand and treat psychiatric conditions. Depression and other mental health issues are complex, and a one-size-fits-all approach is a barrier to positive outcomes. In fact, depression has many subtypes or "neurotypes" that are often treated the same. Universal Brain's platform neurotypes patients by measuring the function of multiple brain systems implicated in depression and classifies neurotypes based on profiles of brain function. By objectively measuring profiles of brain function, Universal Brain will reduce heterogeneity to improve precision in identification and development of more personalized treatments. Its platform consists of a next-generation EEG wearable that measures brain electrical activity during a range of cognitive and emotional tasks, as well as advanced algorithms that enable neurotyping. This provides clinicians with an easy-to-use, accessible, and non-invasive tool for precise diagnosis and treatment selection, transforming the current trial-and-error approach and enabling better patient outcomes.

The new executives driving this transformation bring extensive expertise:

Greg Hajcak, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Advisor: Dr. Hajcak is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Sheri Sobrato Professor of Child & Adolescent Mental Health at Santa Clara University. Dr. Hajcak has spent more than 20 years studying the neuroscience of anxiety and depression using functional brain measures derived from EEG.  For this work, he received the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions from the Association for Psychological Science, and the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychophysiology from the Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Vangelis Lympouridis, Ph.D., Chief Product Officer: Dr. Lympouridis founded Enosis, a specialized R&D, design, and product development firm focused on emerging technologies, emphasizing MedTech and the digital transformation of healthcare. He is an expert designer and systems architect with extensive experience researching and developing clinical applications using an evidence-based approach, knowledge-based systems, digital media, and emerging technologies. Earlier, as the Chief Design Officer at Applied VR, he designed and oversaw the development of a series of breakthrough clinical VR products, including RelieVRx, the first clinically validated and FDA-authorized comprehensive VR solution for chronic pain.

K.T. Venkateswara-Rao, Ph.D., Head of Operations: Dr. Rao is a seasoned healthcare technology executive with extensive operational experience at Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. Throughout his 25 years in the industry, Dr. Rao has demonstrated a strong record of product development and commercialization of medical devices generating over $25 billion in revenue, showcasing his ability to drive innovation, business growth, and commercial success. With his deep understanding of quality, clinical and regulatory guidance – including FDA, IEC, and ISO standards – Dr. Rao has successfully navigated the complex landscape of medical device development.

"The addition of these innovative leaders to the Universal Brain team marks a significant milestone in our journey to revolutionize mental healthcare by utilizing objective data to drive better clinical decision making and improve patient outcomes," said Dr. Okuda. "Their highly regarded expertise in their respective disciplines paired with a shared vision of advancing precision psychiatry through the use of objective data will be invaluable as we bring the Universal Brain platform to market."

To learn more about how Universal Brain is driving a paradigm shift in the identification and treatment of mental health conditions, visit universal-brain.com.

About Universal Brain
Universal Brain is dedicated to developing innovative technology solutions that advance precision psychiatry to alleviate the symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions. We believe that leveraging the principles of neuroscience and incorporating objective measures will revolutionize the way we understand, diagnose, and treat psychiatric conditions. By harnessing the power of electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) insights, we aim to provide valuable data derived from brain biomarkers, delivering a patient neurotype that recognizes that there are many "depressions." For more information, visit universal-brain.com.

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SOURCE Universal Brain