Our Mission

Neuraura’s mission is to unlock safe and effective treatments for brain-related disorders.

Neurological, psychiatric and sensory conditions are a global epidemic with a burden on society that is greater than cancer and cardiac conditions combined. Current treatment options are severely limited due to a history of stigma, our poor understanding of the brain and challenges to drug treatments (side effects).

For some conditions, such as epilepsy, surgical intervention is proven to be one of the medically proven best option available today. Neuromodulation, or the electrical stimulation of specific neurons, has been shown to be effective in treating conditions like Alzheimer’s, addiction, depression and chronic pain at a research level.

Neuraura will unlock these treatment options by using its proprietary microsenor technology to develop personalized and adaptive brain care.

Mission

Company History

Company history

Neuraura Biotech Inc., (“Neuraura”) was formed as a spin-out from the University of Calgary as part of a collaboration between the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (Cumming School of Medicine), a pioneering institution in the field of brain-chip interface, and the Schulich School of Engineering.

Our technical co-founders, Pierre and Colin, have collaborated since 2012 to develop novel microsensors as part of Pierre’s PhD. They joined the inaugural cohort of the Creative Destructive Lab Rockies in 2017, where they started working closely with Claire, and incorporated Neuraura in December that year.

Neuraura’s microsensors represent the culmination of decades of neuroscientific research combined with leading manufacturing practices from the semiconductor industry. Our novel microsensors are designed based on world-leading expertise in neuro-engineering and microfabrication. Our brain mapping will leverage decades of investment in geo-spatial analytics from the oil and gas industry and the province’s leading expertise in deep learning.

Leadership

Leadership and Directors

Pierre Wijdenes - Co-founder and CEO

Pierre’s superpower is his unshakeable vision and optimism. He previously founded a B2C healthcare community platform, consulted to the medical device industry and worked in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada. Pierre holds a Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Calgary and a MEng/MSc in Human Factors, Cognitive Engineering and User Interaction from the École Nationale Supérieure de Cognitique (“ENSC”) in Bordeaux – France.

Claire Dixon - Co-founder and COO

Claire has a unique ability to distill complex and disparate information into clear, concise insights. She is also our team whip, formidable despite her diminutive stature. She brings more than 20 years’ of strategy and operations experience to our team, including her formative years with L.E.K. Consulting and a number of senior operational roles at the Haskayne School of Business. Claire holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a MEng/MA in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University, UK.

Colin Dalton - Co-founder and CTO

Colin keeps our team grounded and out of trouble, being able to predict potential future issues. He has more than 20 years’ experience conducting collaborative research to advance healthcare solutions and is the Director of the Microsystems Hub, a multi user micro-fabrication research facility and an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. Colin holds a PhD in Electronic Engineering, specializing in Biotechnology from Bangor University, UK, as well as MSc and BEng degrees from the same institution.

Topaz Conway - Director (Australia)

Topaz is a veteran of the innovation ecosystem with experience spanning MedTech, Bioengineering, IT and e-commerce. In addition to being Chair of SBE Australia (an accelerator for women-led companies delivering the world class Springboard Accelerator) since 2014, Topaz is a Director of Cicada Innovations (New South Wales’ Deep-Tech incubator).

Advisors

Brian is managing Partner with Profound Ventures and Entrepreneur in Residence at the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics. He also holds a variety of roles as a founder of and advisor to MedTech companies.

Brian Meshkin

Eric has extensive experience in selling both EEG and neuromodulation products. He is currently VP of Sales for MicroMed® and was formerly head of Sales & Marketing for LivaNova and Cyberonics.

Eric Relkin

Walter is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Calgary and specialist in Epilepsy and Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, with research interests in Neuromodulation.

Dr. Walter Hader

Paolo is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Calgary and specialist in Epilepsy care. Part of his research involves the study of High Frequency Oscillations (Biomarkers)