Welcome to Health-e Law, Sheppard’s podcast exploring the fascinating health tech topics and trends of the day. In this episode, partner and host Michael Orlando welcomes Dr. Newton Howard, founder and CEO of ni2o, to discuss KIWI, the AI-driven brain implant his company is developing. Dr. Howard also shares where he sees this technology taking healthcare in the next decade, and the privacy and ethical considerations surrounding technology with such profound implications for the human mind.
What we discuss in this episode:
- How KIWI works and how it uses AI to treat neurological disorders.
- Why early detection is key to the way ni2o proposes to treat Alzheimer's disease.
- The impact this technology will have on brain health and healthcare in the next decade.
- What guardrails should be considered in deploying these technologies.
- The privacy risks raised by the use of brain tech.
- Whether these types of devices could be used to manipulate thought or memory.
- Key considerations for the health industry in the use of brain tech.
About Dr. Newton Howard
Dr. Newton Howard is the founder and CEO of ni2o, a neurotechnology company developing AI-powered brain-computer interfaces to treat debilitating neurological disorders and ultimately enhance human cognitive performance. A neuroscientist, inventor and professor, he holds advanced degrees in Mathematics and Neurosurgery from Oxford University and in Cognitive Informatics and Medical Sciences from the Sorbonne.
Dr. Howard’s career spans academia, the U.S. military and the private sector, with professorships at Oxford, Georgetown University and MIT, where he directed the Synthetic Intelligence Lab. His foundational scientific contributions—among them the Theory of Intention Awareness, the Fundamental Code Unit and the Brain Code—have opened new pathways in predictive intelligence and the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions. His research has made its way into technologies used by millions of people every day, including Wi-Fi hotspots, Google Earth and Google Translate, and he has collaborated extensively with the Department of Defense on advanced defense applications of brain science and AI.
Dr. Howard also founded the Howard Brain Sciences Foundation, which funds research in brain disease and neurological treatment, and C4ADS, a data-driven think tank focused on global conflict and transnational security.
About Michael Orlando
Michael Orlando is a partner in Sheppard’s San Diego (Del Mar) office. He is team leader of the firm’s Technology Transactions team, a member of the Life Sciences, Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence teams, and co-leader of the firm’s Digital Health & Innovation team. Michael has more than 20 years of experience advising health technology companies, insurers, healthcare systems and providers, academic medical centers and research institutions, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical and wellness companies on intellectual property and business transactions in key strategic areas, including EHR systems procurement and integration, telehealth, mobile health applications, clinical decision support technologies, artificial intelligence, data use, wearable devices, remote patient monitoring, medical devices and equipment, research and collaborations, patent licenses, software licenses, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, revenue cycle management, and other outsourcing transactions.
Michael founded a software-as-a-service company before entering private practice and completed an in-house secondment at a publicly traded biotechnology company, an experience that informs his practical and business-focused approach to client engagements.
Resource: ni2o
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