The TIME100 Health list spotlights the 100 most influential leaders in health this year. These leaders have pushed new ideas ahead to build healthier populations around the world.
Brandman and Stavisky share more than this very prestigious recognition. They both joined UC Davis in October 2021 as assistant professors in theDepartment of Neurological Surgery. Together, they established and co-direct theUC Davis Neuroprosthetics Labthat develops BCI to restore speech and communication to people with paralysis.
“Being named to the Time100 Health List is a reflection of the extraordinary leadership of Dr. Brandman and Dr. Stavisky and their groundbreaking research program,”said Kia Shahlaie, chair of the UC Davis Department of Neurological Surgery. “They are internationally recognized innovators. Their vision and rigor have helped build a remarkable multidisciplinary team focused on restoring communication for people living with severe neurologic disease.”
This recognition reflects the growing excitement around the life-changing potential of speech brain-computer interfaces. I'm incredibly proud of what our hard-working and brilliant team has built in a short period."— neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky
About David Brandman
Brandman is an associate professor in theDepartment of Neurological Surgeryand director of the Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship. He is affiliated with the UC Davis Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine and the Center for Mind and Brain.
Brandman is also leading multiple clinical trials. He is the site-responsible investigator on the BrainGate2 clinical trial and was recently selected to leadParadromics’ Connexus BCI clinical trial.
“It’s been incredible over the past few years to have made so many steps towards enabling speech for people with paralysis. Our group’s success has been predicated on the amazing contributions of our clinical trial participants,” Brandman said.
About Sergey Stavisky
Stavisky is a neuroengineer and neuroscientist. Since joining UC Davis, he has been awarded 15 research grants worth more than $8 million. These grants include a $2.3 million NIH Director’s New Innovator Award and a $2.7 million Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program grant to support his research on BCI use inALS.
Among his many accolades, Stavisky was named aMcKnight Scholarand aSearle Scholar. He was also awarded theMIND Prizeand the International BCI Society'sEarly Career Award. Stavisky has earned multiple UC Davis School of Medicine awards, including the Emerging Leader Award, the Dean’s Award for Team Excellence and the Early Career Research Award.
"This recognition reflects the growing excitement around the life-changing potential of speech brain-computer interfaces. I'm incredibly proud of what our hard-working and brilliant team has built in a short period," Stavisky said.
It’s been incredible over the past few years to have made so many steps towards enabling speech for people with paralysis."—neurosurgeon David Brandman
Brandman and Stavisky have co-authored many articles that were published in top peer-reviewed journals suchNatureand theNew England Journal of Medicine.
“We are immensely proud to celebrate their impact here at UC Davis and the inspiration they provide to our trainees, colleagues and patients,” Shahlaie said.
Watch VideoA new brain-computer interface (BCI) developed at UC Davis Health translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy — the most accurate system of its kind.
New Brain-Computer Interface Allows Man with ALS to 'Speak’ Again
