About Optios

David Bach, MD

Chief Executive Officer

David is a Harvard-trained scientist, physician, and serial entrepreneur. After spending a decade maximizing his physical and mental performance, he created Optios, formerly PlatypusNeuro, to bring scientific rigor to, and create commercial applications in, the rapidly expanding neuroperformance space. As an entrepreneur, David previously founded and built three healthcare technology companies, the smallest of which became a $100M enterprise. His last business endeavor, Leprechaun LLC, was – for one year – the fastest growing company in the country, and it generated a 90x cash-on-cash return for investors. David attended Harvard College and Harvard Medical School and worked as a research scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has also been a management consultant, a venture capitalist, a competitive martial artist, and a professional cellist.

Paul Sajda, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Paul is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia University and Director of the Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing. Prior to joining the faculty at Columbia, Paul was the Head of Image and Signal Processing at Sarnoff Corporation in Princeton, NJ. His areas of expertise include computational and experimental neuroscience, neuroimaging, neural engineering, and computational modeling. He has received numerous awards for his research, including an NSF CAREER Award, and has been elected a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE), and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Jacek Dmochowski

VP of Machine Learning

Jacek is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the City College of New York (currently on sabbatical) and the VP of Machine Learning at Optios. His academic training is diverse, including graduate degrees in electrical engineering and post-doctoral training in psychology from Stanford University. His academic research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and NASA. The findings of his research have been featured in mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and the Los Angeles Times. Jacek holds several patents in the areas of acoustic signal processing and neurotechnology.

Chris Berka

Chris is the CEO and Co-Founder of Advanced Brain Monitoring (ABM). She has over 25 years experience managing clinical research, and developing and commercializing new technologies. She is the co-inventor of eleven patented and 14 patent-pending technologies and served as the principal investigator or co-investigator for grants & contracts awarded by the National Institutes of Health, DARPA, ONR, and NSF that provided more than $32 million of research funds to ABM. Prior to founding ABM, Chris played a key role in the growth of an AMEX public company that patented and commercialized a forensic hair test for psychopharmacological profiles of drug use. She has 10 years experience as a research scientist with publications on the analysis of the EEG correlates of cognition in healthy subjects and patients with sleep and neurological disorders.

Genevieve Bos

Genevieve is Co-Founder & Chief Revenue at Poplar and Member of the Board of Advisors and Investor at Applied General Intelligence. She is a technology entrepreneur and thought leader who has built and sold numerous business enterprises during the past 17 years including: IdeaString, the world’s first social innovation and collaboration SaaS platform; and PINK, the first national magazine and website devoted to professional women. She also serves as a Board member for multiple transformative technology companies including Softwear Automation (sewing machine robots), Steady (on demand jobs), and the Miami Ad School (global advertising & design school with 14 locations). She is a widely sought after public speaker, and has been featured several times on television stations including CNBC, NBC and CNN. Genevieve lives in Atlanta with her husband and her VR Alienware platform.

Judson Brewer, MD, PhD

Judson is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and addiction specialist who currently serves as the Director of Research and Innovation, Mindfulness Center and Associate Professor at Brown University School of Public Health. His research focuses primarily on the neurobiology of habit formation and how to “rewire” addictions and habits. His numerous scientific accomplishments include: identification of brain regions that are activated with addiction; and research into the influence that meditation has on brain activity. He is the author of “The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love—Why We Get Hooked & How We Can Break Bad Habits” (Yale University Press, 2017).

Arne Dietrich, PhD

Arne is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the American University of Beirut. He is among the world’s preeminent thinkers on the neuroscience of human performance. His research focuses primarily on the neural basis of creativity, altered states of consciousness (including what’s commonly known as the flow state) and the psychological effects of physical exercise. He has written a large number of professional articles and multiple books, including classic texts on the nature of consciousness and creativity. His work is also prominently featured in the international press.

Jeffery Eggers

Jeff is a former Navy SEAL Commander and a Senior Advisor with the McChrystal Group where he coaches and consults with executive leaders and their teams. He is also a Senior Fellow at New America, a Washington, D.C. based think tank, conducting research on the behavioral science of organizational performance. Jeff is a highly sought out advisor to many of the world’s most senior leaders. He has worked directly with two United States Presidents as a national security and special advisor. Jeff graduated from the US Naval Academy and thereafter received a master of arts in mathematics and philosophy from Oxford University.

Ken Grant

Ken is the CEO of General Risk Advisors – an organization that provides outsourced risk management advisory and outsourcing services to a broad range of alternative investment businesses including hedge funds, bank asset management groups, funds of funds, family offices, prime brokers and fund administrators. His client base, in the aggregate, controls hundreds of billions in capital, covering every asset and strategy class in the global capital markets. Previously, Ken was the Head of Global Risk Management for Cheyne Capital (a $5 billion alternative money manager), the Managing Director for Risk at SAC Capital Advisors, and the Director of Risk Management at Tudor Investment Corporation. He is a Faculty Member at Columbia University focused on Risk Management/Actuarial Sciences and is a Fellow at the Center for the Management of Systematic Risk at Columbia University.

Amir Kalali, MD

Amir is a globally recognized thought leader and innovator focused on the rapidly growing intersection between life sciences and technology. In his capacity as a neuroscientist, he is: a Founding Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Society for CNS Drug Development (ISCDD); Editor of the journal Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience; Founder and Co-Chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the CNS Summit; a founding member of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM); and a member of the Scientific Program Committee of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). He was also the lead editor of the book Essential CNS Drug Development.

Amy Kruse, PhD

In 2005, as the Program Manager for DARPA’s performance-focused neuroscience research program, Amy effectively created the field in which we work. As a starting point, she named the field, coining and popularizing the term “Applied Neuroscience.” She also conducted the seminal research in the industry – a series of studies in which she definitely demonstrated that, with biofeedback and brainwave analysis, one could dramatically (and rapidly) enhance military sniper’s performance. Since that time, in a variety of capacities, Amy’s extensive research has addressed a broad range of foundational questions including: how human performance is affected by different natural conditions like sleep deprivation and stress; how elite performance can be enhanced with the use of electrical brain stimulation; and how video gaming technology can be leveraged to accelerate learning speeds. Amy has also served as the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Cubic Global Defense.

Michael Merzenich, PhD

Mike is a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco and is widely considered to be the world’s leading pioneer in brain plasticity research. He has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Science and Nature and has been awarded over 100 patents. He was on the team that invented the cochlear implant, which is currently distributed by the market leader, Advanced Bionics. Mike was also the founding CEO of Scientific Learning Corporation. In 2016, Mike was awarded the world’s top neuroscience prize, the Kavli Prize, for his achievements in the field of brain plasticity. Mike is also “the brain behind BrainHQ” and the author of Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.

Christopher C. Miller

Chris was a public servant for 34 years in the Army and the national security apparatus of the United States.

His service culminated in his having the role of the Acting Secretary of Defense for the United States. In this capacity, Chris oversaw the military’s $720 Billion budget and successfully led its two million service members and seven hundred thousand civilian employees through one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

Chris is also one of his generation’s most seasoned national security professionals. In particular, he possesses extensive cross-cultural and multigenerational experience operating from the ground-level with foreign governments and leading U.S. and allied military and security forces, to the highest corridors of power domestically and internationally. He has extensive Intelligence Community experience as well.

Prior to his role as Acting Secretary of Defense, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Chris (on August 6, 2020) as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center where he was responsible for defending the U.S from terrorist attacks. Prior to his confirmation, Chris led the Department of Defense’s counterterrorism and irregular warfare efforts. He also served temporarily as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations with responsibility for fighting Al Qaida, recovering American hostages and transforming the DoD to compete against rising powers.

In 2018 and 2019 Chris was the Special Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the White House. As the government’s senior most policy-making official in those fields, Chris developed and implemented strategy and policy and provided counsel to the National Security Advisor, Vice-President, and President.

Chris’ experiences and philosophy are available in his recently published book, “Soldier-Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies.”

Vivienne Ming, PhD

Vivienne was named one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top 10 Women to Watch in Tech,” she is a wildly accomplished theoretical neuroscientist, technologist, and entrepreneur whose guiding mission is to use neuroscience to optimize human potential. Among her many accomplishments, Vivienne recently co-founded Socos, a company that applies cognitive modeling to create adaptive, personalized educational technologies. She is also a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley’s Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience where she pursues research in neuroprosthetics. Vivienne is an advisor for Zoic Capital, Cognixion, Open For Business, & HUMM, and serves on the Board of Directors for Palm Center at CSUSF, The GenderCool Project, and OptoCeutics StartOut. She is currently Chief Scientist for Dionysus Health.

Roger J. Quy, PhD, MBA

Roger is Co-Founder and CEO of NeuroHealth Technologies Inc. and Co-Founder and Partner for Global Neurohealth Ventures. He was formerly a Managing Partner at Technology Partners, a venture capital firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Roger has worked with many healthtech and life science companies for more than 25 years, and has served on over 30 public, private, or not-for-profit boards. He focuses on neuroscience, neurotechnology, and digital health. He is an advisor to the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) and to the neuroscience Bakar program at UC Berkeley. Roger has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and an MBA.

Manish Vekaria

Manish is a seasoned financial professional with over 25 years of experience in the fields of trading and sales. His career has been marked by service to Financial Institutions and Investment Firms across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. During his tenures at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, Manish managed complex financial products and contributed to the companies’ growth. His work primarily involved providing investment services to clients and developing tailored investment products and strategies based on their individual needs and goals. Manish has consistently promoted talent development and diversity in the workplace. He has taken the lead on a number of initiatives and committees, including those related to graduate recruitment, leadership programs, and mentorship programs. In addition to his work in trading and sales, Manish has started several ventures and has provided advice in industries such as alternative investments and wealth technology services. Manish is actively involved in children’s educational charities. He holds memberships with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and the Young Presidents’ Organization, where he serves on global network committees. Manish currently lives in London with his family.

Vincent Walsh, PhD

Vincent is Scientific Advisor at Cogmap and Professor of Human Brain Research at University College London where he directs the Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Group. He is one of the few neuroscientists alive who has garnered success and respect in both the elite academic and applied neuroscience arenas. His academic reputation was formed on research focused primarily on human brain stimulation and how the brain processes visual stimuli. He has extended his research into several areas and is now primarily working on sleep and well being, decision making under pressure, and improvements in elite performance.

INSIDE EVERY HUMAN IS AN INSATIABLE HUNGER TO

CONTINUALLY IMPROVE

EVERYTHING WE DO IS GROUNDED IN RIGOROUS SCIENCE

Untapped Potential Lies Dormant Within Your Brain

Our Values

Meet Our Team

Our Advisors