Episode 3 of my new podcast features Dr. Jacques Carolan, a founding Program Director at ARIA, the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency. He directs two neurotech programs aimed at one of the most important opportunity spaces: developing tools and systems to interface, at scale, with the human brain.
One program is built on the idea that brain disorders are circuit problems, and funds tools to target those circuits with molecular precision across the whole brain. The other aims to deliver high-performance neurotech to the brain non-invasively or at most in a 30-minute outpatient procedure.
We dig into the engineering and biology behind both programs, potential scaling unlocks for the field, how ARIA programs drive breakthroughs, Jacques background, the role of media in shaping the future, and much more. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
Other links to this episode and references below.
Sections
00:01:22 Why 20 years of neurotech breakthroughs haven't reached patients
00:04:08 The two variables that determine whether any medical technology gets adopted
00:09:17 Brain disorders cost the UK £100B/year and we're barely treating them
00:16:15 Using stem cells and gene therapy to build better brain interfaces
00:21:40 Self-regulating gene therapy that helps the brain quiet its own seizures
00:24:03 The non-technical reasons transformative neurotech fail to reach patients
00:31:34 Watching a 30-second brain ablation stop severe tremors
00:38:11 The case for delivering brain implants and therapies without opening the skull
00:50:56 Why high technical uncertainty makes distributed teams better than vertical integration
01:02:55 Why the UK keeps producing world-class neuroscience but not world-class neurotech companies
01:11:04 What AI-driven hypothesis generation means for breakthroughs per pound
01:20:40 From quantum computing to improv comedy to running £119M government brain programs
Links from the Podcast
Jacques Carolan
Jacques’ Programs at ARIA
Research Papers + Technical References
Videos + Demonstrations
References Mentioned in Conversation
Books + Media
Links