Our 40 Under 40 Healthcare Innovators of 2015

“The sheer amount of traction we have gotten in a short time is a testament that neuro-innovation’s time has come,” says Jordan Amadio, MD, MBA, a neurosurgery resident at Emory University’s School of Medicine and the co-founder of NeuroLaunch, the world’s first Silicon Valley-style neuroscience accelerator. The six neuro startups from NeuroLaunch’s first batch have already raised over $4 million from investors.

“NeuroLaunch has especially benefited from an outpouring of support from the neuroscience community, with over 100 mentors and 300 interested investors,” Amadio says. And while healthcare changes are connected to technology and innovation, he stresses the importance of acquainting oneself with advances in other disciplines as well. “Think big, learn to code, hang out with entrepreneurs and artists, talk to patients as human beings and find out what makes them tick,” he advises. The leaders of the future in health will be those who can effectively bridge relationships with other disciplines while also being stellar in their fields.

Looking at the future, Amadio sees a tug-of-war between data privacy and data transparency. Whichever side wins out, Amadio will be continuing his efforts to drive neuroscience innovation. “It’s an incredible privilege to help people in their greatest need, when they’re suffering from brain or spinal disorder,” he says. “That, coupled with being able to help millions around the world by driving new technologies forward.”