Neurotech: Developing Brainy Ideas through Clever Design Draws Innovators to Cambridge
Cambridge, UK — Cambridge NeuroWorks, a pioneering programme accelerating the development of transformative neurotechnologies, drew a diverse audience of innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, academics, and healthcare leaders to its fringe event “Neurotech: Developing Brainy Ideas through Clever Design” during Cambridge Tech Week.
The event, held on 15 September at the state-of-the-art Ray Dolby Centre in the Cambridge West Innovation District, highlighted how bold thinking and clever design can shape the future of neurotechnology. Backed by multi-million-pound funding from the UK’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), Cambridge NeuroWorks aims to accelerate new treatments and devices to tackle conditions such as depression, dementia, OCD, chronic pain, and Parkinson’s disease.
“Neurodegenerative conditions affect a large portion of the society, making lives harder and putting a significant burden on health systems, calling for bold action to change the status quo” explains Agnieszka Iwasiewicz-Wabnig, Director of the Maxwell Centre at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge NeuroWorks Blue Sky, who hosted the evening’s series of discussions exploring neurotech, design and entrepreneurship.
John Gourd, Cambridge Network's CEO and Network Lead for Cambridge NeuroWorks, highlighted why Cambridge is such a special place to innovate, collaborate, and take ideas from lab to life.
Other speakers included ARIA’s Gillian Koehl, who shared inspiring reflections on why neurotech is ripe for breakthroughs, along with the opportunities and challenges. John Connah from eg technology Ltd, based locally in Stow-cum-Quy, gave an engaging, practical session on design - showing the right and very wrong way to approach development, and how to avoid common pitfalls in turning ideas into reality.
The audience were then treated to a lively chat between local serial entrepreneurs Sir Tony Kouzarides, Milner Therapeutics Institute’s Director and Jason Mellad CEO of OtoImmune who gave their honest insights into the qualities entrepreneurs need, why failure is not just inevitable but essential, and invaluable tips from their journeys.
The evening concluded with the community sharing ideas and building connections that will drive the future of neurotech. Several Cambridge NeuroWorks Current Fellows were on hand to informally share their experience of the programme.
“It was inspiring to witness the amount of enthusiasm at the event. There’s a real sense that by collaborating together we can achieve something special in such an important sphere and address some world-order challenges.” said John Gourd.
Dr Iwasiewicz-Wabnig added “Using technology to tackle neurological conditions requires mobilisation of very diverse expertise in an orchestrated team effort: clinicians, scientists, visionary funders, designers, and entrepreneurs all have a key role to play. We explored their perspectives with a very engaged Cambridge Tech Week audience”.
Anyone with an innovative idea for new treatments, devices and diagnostic tools for neurological conditions should get in touch with Cambridge NeuroWorks. The programme is currently looking for people from all backgrounds to join a second cohort of Fellows.
Successful applicants will receive plenty of support from the team as Dr Iwasiewicz-Wabnig emphasises “When the problem is too big for anyone to solve alone, the fear of failure can be paralyzing. Cambridge NeuroWorks enables ambitious experimentation, convening experts in a safe environment to dream big, ‘fail’ constructively, learn from it, pivot and keep going to deliver transformational impact.”
Cambridge NeuroWorks Fellowship deadline: 13th Oct, find out more here: https://cambridgeneuroworks.org/programmes/fellowship-programme
