Engineering the future of mental health.

Jacob Robinson, PhD, is the co-founder and CEO of Motif Neurotech. He earned his PhD in Applied Physics from Cornell and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, focusing on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and bioelectronics. Prior to Motif, Jacob spent 12 years at Rice University leading a research group that published over 60 peer-reviewed articles in Nature, Science, and Nature Biomedical Engineering, and secured over $40M in federal funding. His work has earned recognition including the Charles Duncan Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, and Materials Today Rising Star Award. He is a senior IEEE member, former co-chair of the IEEE Brain Initiative, and a current member of the EMBS Administrative Committee. Jacob is passionate about bridging cutting-edge science with real-world applications to improve mental health care. He retains a professorship at Rice University while leading Motif full-time.

Dr. Sheth trained in Neurological Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sheth specializes in the treatment of patients with Movement Disorders, Epilepsy, Brain Tumors, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Hydrocephalus, and certain Psychiatric Disorders. He enjoys bringing a personalized approach to each patient in order to arrive at an individually tailored treatment plan optimized for the patient and his or her family. He works with a world-class multi-disciplinary team of surgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, radiologists, and others to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care for his patients. Among the many techniques at his disposal are stereotactic neurosurgery, deep brain stimulation, ablative techniques, awake brain mapping, electrode recordings, computer-guided navigation, and microsurgery. Dr. Sheth is also a neuroscientist, with PhD and post-doctoral training in neurophysiology. His research interests are centered on a desire to better understand brain function.

Sunil A. Sheth, MD, is a board certified vascular neurologist specializing in in endovascular treatments for cerebral and spinal vascular diseases. He has expertise in the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, fistulas, as well as facial and spinal vascular malformations.

Goetz held leadership and engineering positions of increasing responsibility during his 26-year career at Medtronic. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Technology and Platform Innovation in the Neuromodulation Operating Unit, driving new therapeutic opportunities in bioelectronic medicine and defining major new implantable device architectures. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Distinguished Engineer in Brain Modulation, responsible for an innovation pipeline spanning technology, strategy, and business development. Before this, Goetz was Chief Engineer for Deep Brain Stimulation and Neuromodulation, leading technical definition of multiple deep brain stimulation systems, including novel brain sensing devices and Medtronic’s directional lead stimulation design. Prior to this position, he led cross- functional teams in systems engineering and human factors and contributed to system designs for spinal cord stimulation, implantable drug pumps, and peripheral nerve stimulation therapies. Goetz holds over 160 patents and has contributed to multiple publications in the field. Steve leaves Medtronic as a Bakken Fellow, Medtronic’s most prestigious technical award. He holds a BSEE from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MSEE from the University of Minnesota.

Julie Goode has over 20 years of experience in clinical research, focusing on neuromodulation and cardiac rhythm management. At Medtronic, she led multiple clinical research teams, overseeing large portfolios in movement disorders, pelvic health, pain, and psychiatric disorders, including OCD and depression. Her leadership has been characterized by her efforts to streamline study execution and enhance relationships with clinical sites and cross-functional stakeholders. Additionally, she played a pivotal role as the lead clinical engineer for a DBS study aimed at treating depression. Julie holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Starting his career at Abbott, Ameya led preclinical and clinical studies characterizing the efficacy of neuromodulation for treatment of chronic pain. He’s built nervous system interfaces to restore function lost to injury and treat chronic health conditions. Ameya holds a PhD from the Rehab Neural Engineering Labs (RNEL) at the University of Pittsburgh. His research involved studying the conscious percepts of touch and proprioception that can be elicited through spinal cord stimulation and their use in a closed loop prosthetic device.

Aradhana Yoganand brings over 10 years of experience in the medical device industry, with a strong foundation in quality management, improvement, and assurance. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Neuro, ENT, and Spine products, she has provided critical on-site and remote support across multiple regions. This hands-on experience enables her to anticipate and address quality issues from both technical and end-user perspectives, enhancing her effectiveness in quality management. Throughout her career, Aradhana has excelled in managing design controls, conducting risk assessments, and overseeing supplier management, CAPA investigations, and document control. Aradhana is also certified in Regulatory Affairs for medical devices by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), further solidifying her expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes. With a background in Biomedical Engineering and an MBA in Organizational Leadership, she combines technical expertise with strategic leadership, making her a valuable asset in advancing quality and regulatory excellence in the medical device industry.

Bio Missing

Starting her journey Boston Scientific, Desiree made significant contributions to the Endoscopy and Electrophysiology businesses. She played a pivotal role in the integration and commercialization of the Rhythmia Medical, Inc. HDx cardiac mapping system. Desiree then brought her talents to Houston, focusing on implantable technology for treatment of epilepsy, sleep apnea, and treatment resistant depression at LivaNova. In her most recent role at Bright Insight, Desiree led professional service teams, delivering cutting-edge digital health solutions for medical device and Pharma customers.

Igor has been involved in firmware and digital signal processing development since 1999 across various industries. He brings neuromodulation-specific firmware development experience from LivaNova and Velentium. His most recent work involved development of a multichannel deep brain stimulation-sensing implantable device. Igor also brings an endless supply of worldly tales to Motif, having lived in various countries such as Ukraine and Canada. Igor has since come to love Houston, Texas.

With over 15 years of experience in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of Class III implantable medical devices, Jake brings deep expertise in neuromodulation and operations integration to Motif. He spent over a decade at Boston Scientific in engineering and management roles supporting cardiac rhythm management and neuromodulation portfolios. He also contributed to operations acquisitions in areas including structural heart and peripheral intervention. Most recently, Jake led engineering teams at Saluda Medical to launch a first-of-its-kind spinal cord stimulation technology and scale its manufacturing operations. Originally from Minnesota and a University of Minnesota graduate, Jake now proudly calls Southeast Texas home. He’s passionate about building technologies that improve lives!

Jay has experience as both a researcher developing neural activity sensing technologies and an engineer performing R&D for medical devices. Jay has expertise developing and implementing innovative technologies, including tetrode (DBS sensing), ECoG, and Calcium imaging devices. Additionally, he brings experience designing, prototyping, and testing medical devices for cardiocirculatory support. Jay is passionate about using his knowledge and expertise to drive innovation, improve healthcare outcomes, and enhance the quality of human life.

Before joining Motif, Joslyn spent the past five years in venture capital supporting early-stage deep tech portfolios. Most recently at Prime Movers Lab, she provided support across all portfolio support functions including executive operations, investor relations, fundraising, event curation, and ecosystem development. Joslyn received her venture education supporting the investment and communications teams at TrueBridge Capital Partners. Before joining the VC ecosystem, she served a long tenure in the legal industry at Batten Lee, PLLC as an office administrator. Prior to that Joslyn had an entrepreneurial career in the fashion industry, designing her own clothing and blogging at Fashion Week in New York City.

LaTicia is a dynamic and results-driven Operations Manager with over 15 years of experience in optimizing operational efficiency, enhancing productivity, and driving business growth. With an MBA and a robust background in operational strategy, process improvement, and team leadership, LaTicia has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead successful projects and streamline operations. Her expertise in supply chain management, budgeting, and cost control has been instrumental in achieving significant cost savings and operational excellence. Throughout LaTicia’s career, she has been recognized for her analytical and problem-solving skills where she optimized processes, reduced costs, and improved performance metrics.

Landan leverages his decade plus of involvement in the neurotech field to help facilitate the development of Motif Neurotech’s XCS product offerings. Landan's efforts contribute to the design & development, scientific, clinical, and marketing domains within Motif. He is committed to bringing lived experience into the design of Motif's products, having launched a lived-experience community advisory board to incorporate patient perspectives into Motif's product development. Outside of work, Landan enjoys skiing, mountain biking, reading science fiction, and videogames.

Laya brings 20 years of medical device software development to us from some industry titans including Siemens, Boston Scientific and LivaNova. She spent 13 of those years working specifically in neuromodulation throughout the entire product development lifecycle. Laya is a Seattle native, but loves calling Houston home!

Phil has over a decade of experience in the development of implantable medical devices, from his tenure at Boston Scientific, where he worked on pacemakers and ICDs, to his role at Medtronic developing Neuromodulation devices and focusing on both implantable stimulators and external patient care devices, including wireless power transfer and communication. Transitioning to Nike, Phil took on the challenge of developing low-power wearable products in the consumer sportswear space. As the electrical design lead for the Nike Adapt line of auto-lacing shoes, inspired by the iconic self-lacing shoes in Back to the Future II, Phil played a key role in bringing futuristic technology to everyday footwear

Jon is a tireless advocate and lived-experience expert in mental health. Having battled the debilitating effects of serious mental illness and depressive disorder for most of his life, he understands firsthand the profound impact these conditions can have. In 2022, Jon underwent a clinical trial for deep brain stimulation which transformed his life. After 20+ years in biopharmaceutical communications and his battle with mental illness, Jon shifted his focus to a mission close to his heart: pulverizing the stigma surrounding these diseases and saving lives by encouraging open dialogue and understanding. Jon also serves as a strategic advisor for several nonprofits, including One Mind and Mental Health Collaborative, and I am honored to be a voice for mental health at national forums, such as the recent NIH congressional briefing on the BRAIN Initiative.

Amy leverages her decades of experience as a neuroscientist, her prior roles as an operator and a government program manager, and her network of key relationships to discover transformational companies addressing the largest mental health, brain health, and wellness challenges and opportunities. She also draws on her expertise to support Satori Neuro’s portfolio companies as they evaluate and overcome scientific and implementation challenges, with a specific emphasis on deploying complex technology into real-world environments. Prior to leading Satori Neuro, Amy was a General Partner at Prime Movers Lab, where she led the fund’s life sciences investments in human augmentation and longevity.

Anthony has over 25 years experience in the development of successful, high-tech medical devices. Anthony was the CEO and a board member for SetPoint Medical where he grew the company from a three-person start-up to the leading clinical-stage bioelectronic medicine company. Prior to SetPoint he served as VP of Marketing for Boston Scientific and was Director of Marketing at Medtronic. Anthony serves as advisor and board member for numerous early-stage device companies.

Tom draws upon his extensive experience as a physician and healthcare executive to identify medical device and health IT companies that improve patient outcomes and decrease costs. He currently serves as a board director for Avation Medical, Boomerang Medical, Fifth Eye, Motif Neurotech, SonarMD and Virtual Incision and led Arboretum’s investment in nVision Medical, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2018. At ArborMetrix, an Arboretum portfolio company, he led the development of the clinical strategy as Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Christopher J. Rozell is a researcher and educator advancing the field of computational neuroengineering with a broad and interdisciplinary perspective. His research combines aspects of neuroscience, neuroengineering, feedback control, and machine learning to advance our understanding of brain function, the design of effective interventions, and the development of AI systems. The innovations from his 25 years of research experience range from novel neuromodulation therapies for psychiatric disorders such as treatment resistant depression to the innovation of next-generation hyper-efficient computing approaches based on models of biological neural networks.

Kaiyuan is the Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University, USA, where he leads the Secure and Intelligent Micro-Systems (SIMS) lab. His research focuses on low-power and miniaturized circuit and system design, pushing the frontier on minimally invasive, capable, and reliable bioelectronics (implants and wearables) and secure and intelligent ubiquitous sensors. He received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) Predoctoral Achievement Award, and best paper awards from premier conferences across multiple fields, including 2022 ACM MobiCom, 2021 IEEE CICC, 2016 IEEE S&P (Oakland), and 2015 IEEE ISCAS, and several best paper nominations. My research has been featured as the research highlight on Communications of ACM and ACM GetMobile magazines, the cover of Nature BME journal, and IEEE Top Picks in Hardware and Embedded Security.

Linda L. Carpenter, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Chief of the Mood Disorders Program at Butler Hospital. Dr. Carpenter completed her undergraduate degree in Honors Psychology at the University of Michigan, and subsequently worked as a research assistant in the Mood Disorders Research Program at the Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh, concurrently completing post-baccalaureate premedical coursework at the University of Pittsburgh. She obtained her MD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and went on to complete an internship in internal medicine, a residency program in psychiatry, and a clinical neuroscience research fellowship at Yale University in 1997. She has been recognized for her work investigating the neurobiology of, and new treatments for, major depression and other mood and anxiety disorders. She has conducted a number of randomized clinical trials sponsored by industry and NIH, investigating novel drugs and devices for treating depression. Dr. Carpenter has also been principal investigator on trials examining the efficacy and safety of novel neuromodulation treatments, including Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for patients with major depression and/or anxiety disorders. She is Director of the TMS Clinic and Butler Neuromodulation Research Facility, and works with a variety of Brown-based faculty who incorporate noninvasive brain stimulation techniques into their clinical research. Dr. Carpenter is Deputy Director of the COBRE Center for Neuromodulation at Butler Hospital and leads the Center's Neuromodulation and Neuroimaging Core.

Noah S. Philip MD is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He is the founding Section Chief of Psychiatric Neuromodulation at VA Providence, and is Lead for Mental Health Research at the VA RR&D Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology. Dr. Philip’s laboratory uses a precision approach to new and emerging technologies, with the goal to understand and treat posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and suicidality. Dr. Philip received his BSc from McGill University and his MD from Albany Medical College where he graduated AOA and with a distinction in the study of Biomedical Ethics.

Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D. is the Marjorie Bintliff Johnson and Raleigh White Johnson, Jr. Vice Chair for Research and Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He is also a staff psychiatrist at the Michael E. Debakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Dartmouth College and Baylor College of Medicine, and trained in psychiatry at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where he also completed a NIH-funded research fellowship in affective and anxiety disorders. Dr. Mathew began his faculty career at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he co-founded and directed the Mood & Anxiety Disorders Program. In 2010, Dr. Mathew was recruited back to his hometown of Houston to direct Baylor’s Mood & Anxiety Disorders Program. His research program focuses on developing novel therapies for patients with treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders and PTSD, with a particular focus on rapid-acting glutamate-modulating agents. Dr. Mathew is a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and board member of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology.