TEAM
Team
Ludovica Labruna
CEO
Ludovica Labruna, PhD, is an entrepreneurial neuroscientist with deep knowledge of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) applications. As a scientist, her research focused on understanding individual differences in the efficacy of NIBS methods. She founded Magnetic Tides to develop new, comfortable and reliable NIBS methods for augmenting human brain function. Her mission as the CEO of Magnetic Tides is to bring to the market kTMP, a device that has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Daniel Sheltraw
CTO
Daniel Sheltraw, M.D., Ph.D., has expertise in magnetic resonance physics, applied mathematics, and control systems engineering. His research, focused on solving the physics and engineering challenges of extending TMS and tES systems beyond their present capabilities, led to the development of kTMP, our innovative NIBS method.
Christina Merrick
Director of Research
Christina Merrick, Ph.D., has expertise using computational and statistical models to analyze invasive neural recordings in humans. She has previously worked with invasive brain stimulation as a clinical treatment for Parkinson's Disease, and now hoping to develop non-invasive treatments using kTMP.
Philipp Reber
Lead Neuroscientist
Philipp Reber is a neuroscientist, engineer, and psychologist, with experience in adaptive brain stimulation, neurophysiology, research engineering, and mental health care. His research is dedicated to exploring personalized neuromodulation systems to enhance our understanding of brain function and develop more effective treatments for brain disorders.
Rich Ivry
Founder
Richard Ivry, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor at the University of California, Berkeley. To study various aspects of human performance, his lab uses multiple cognitive neuroscience tools including brain stimulation (tES and TMS), neuroimaging, and behavioral work involving patients with neurological disorders.
Cidnee Luu
Lead Research Engineer
Cidnee Luu has expertise in device development and testing, as well as signal processing of physiological signals. Her master’s research focused on the development and validation of wearable EEG systems and dry EEG electrodes. She is interested in neurotechnology and its application to improving brain health.
Katheryn
Thayer-Pham
Research Scientist
Katheryn Thayer-Pham is a recent Graduate from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in Neurobiology. She was awarded the NIH diversity supplement to promote women in STEM and advance her knowledge of research and medical device development targeted at clinical indications. After working for Magnetic Tides, Katheryn hopes to pursue a Ph.D. or M.D.
NIH Award Collaborations
Consultants
Angel Peterchev
Angel Peterchev, Ph.D., from Duke University, is internationally recognized for his pioneering work developing new NIBS methods, specifically TMS devices. Dr. Peterchev will be drawing on his research and expertise as he continues as a consultant for kTMP safety.
Monica Perez
Monica Perez, PT, Ph.D., from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, will participate in interpreting kTMP research findings. She will also help guide kTMP research toward its future focus on neurological disorders, with a particular focus on spinal cord injury.
Karunesh Ganguly
Karunesh Ganguly, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California San Francisco, is the director of the Neural Engineering and Plasticity Laboratory of the Department of Neurology. Dr. Ganguly's primary focus is on stroke rehabilitation, investigating the neural mechanisms that impact motor performance following a stroke and how interventions may induce plasticity in these mechanisms. He also conducts translational work to evaluate different ways to enhance plasticity to treat stokes and is involved in clinical trials involving invasive and brain-machine interface systems.
Study Monitoring Committee
Andrew Krystal
Andrew Krystal, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the UCSF Interventional Psychiatry Program, co-director of the UCSF TMS Program, and vice chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry. He has extensive experience conducting non-invasive and invasive brain stimulation research and was involved in carrying out the first rTMS device trial approved by the U.S. FDA. Dr. Krystal is recognized for his expertise in using EEG in psychiatric research and has contributed to Consensus Recommendations for utilizing rTMS to treat major depression.
Tracy Mayne
Tracy Mayne, Ph.D., has extensive experience directing medical research and coordinating medical information and operations as the Vice President for Global Medical Affairs at Intercept Pharmaceuticals. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has held several senior positions at pharma and biotech companies. In conjunction with Magnetic Tides, Dr. Wayne has contributed to the design of phase 2-4 clinical trials, execution of statistical analysis plans, and participated in FDA advisory committees. Dr. Wayne will be overseeing the publication of the design and results of kTMP studies.
Sheri Johnson
Sheri Johnson, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in using computational models to understand abnormal brain-behavior relationships and the effects of various interventions. Dr. Johnson has served on NIH panels shaping clinical research directions and study designs, including service in the development and application of review domain criteria (RDOC). Prof. Johnson has previously served on DSMBs and has a long record of service on the UC Berkeley IRB.
Theodore Zanto
Theodore Zanto, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Neurology and a member of the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at UCSF. He is the director of the neuroscience division of the Neuroscape initiative at UCSF and has expertise in multimodal neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation. Dr. Zanto has participated in clinical trials assessing the use of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of memory disorders and mild cognitive decline. Furthermore, his competence with many statistical analysis methods will be relevant to the research plan of this SBIR proposal.