NeuroLife Appoints Christopher Coburn and Matthew Thomas to Board as Company Advances Neurotechnology Platform
Appoints®, a neurotechnology company focused on developing non-invasive solutions to help restore function and independence for people living with stroke and spinal cord injury, has announced the appointment of Christopher Coburn and Matthew Thomas to its Board of Directors. The additions bring extensive experience in healthcare innovation, commercialization, business development and organizational growth as NeuroLife enters its next stage of development.
The appointments are expected to strengthen NeuroLife’s leadership and strategic capabilities as the company works to advance its technology platform, expand clinical engagement and develop commercialization opportunities. By adding executives with backgrounds in healthcare innovation and business transformation, NeuroLife aims to support the continued development and broader adoption of its non-invasive neurotechnology solutions.
“ We are pleased to welcome Chris and Matt to the NeuroLife Board of Directors,” said Jon Snyder, CEO of NeuroLife. “Their expertise in healthcare innovation, commercialization and business growth will help guide our strategy as we work to bring our technology to more people who can benefit from it.”
The appointments come as interest continues to grow in neurotechnology approaches designed to support rehabilitation and functional recovery. Stroke and spinal cord injury can result in substantial and long-term impairments, affecting mobility, independence and a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. NeuroLife is developing technology intended to support individuals affected by these conditions by engaging the nervous system and leveraging the brain’s capacity to learn and adapt.
Christopher Coburn Brings Healthcare Innovation Experience
Christopher Coburn joins the NeuroLife Board with a background in healthcare innovation and medical technology commercialization. He currently serves as Chief Innovation Officer at Mass General Brigham, where he has played a significant role in advancing healthcare innovation and helping move technologies from development toward real-world clinical applications.
Throughout his career, Coburn has worked across healthcare innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship. His experience includes helping accelerate the commercialization of hundreds of medical technologies and contributing to the development of a major healthcare innovation ecosystem.
His background is expected to provide NeuroLife with valuable strategic insight as the company works to translate its technology platform into solutions that can reach a larger population of patients and healthcare providers.
Coburn said he is excited by the potential of neurotechnology and its ability to make a meaningful difference for people living with neurological impairments.
“Neurotechnology continues to be an exciting and rapidly evolving field with the potential to create meaningful impact,” Coburn said. “I am honored to serve on the board and contribute to the organization’s long-term vision and stewardship.”
His appointment adds healthcare innovation expertise to NeuroLife’s board at a time when the company is preparing to advance its development and commercialization activities. His experience working with medical technologies, healthcare organizations and innovation programs could also help the company navigate the transition from technology development toward broader clinical and market opportunities.
Matthew Thomas Adds Business and Growth Expertise
Matthew Thomas joins the board with extensive experience as an executive and business leader. His background includes guiding organizations through periods of growth and strategic transformation, with particular expertise in scaling innovative businesses and developing sustainable business models.
For NeuroLife, this experience could be important as the company expands its operations and continues building relationships with clinical, healthcare and industry partners. Scaling a neurotechnology platform requires not only technological and clinical progress but also effective organizational planning, commercial strategy and long-term business development.
Thomas said NeuroLife is working to address an important unmet need in rehabilitation medicine and expressed his intention to support the company as it moves forward.
“NeuroLife is addressing an important need in rehabilitation medicine through a promising technology platform,” Thomas said. “I look forward to working with the board and leadership team as the company continues to grow.”
His experience in business growth and strategic transformation is expected to complement the healthcare innovation expertise brought by Coburn. Together, the appointments broaden the capabilities of NeuroLife’s board as the company prepares for its next phase.
Focus on Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
NeuroLife is developing a non-invasive neurotechnology platform designed to help people affected by stroke and spinal cord injury regain function. The company’s approach is based on the brain’s natural ability to learn, adapt and reorganize in response to experience, a process commonly associated with neuroplasticity.
Stroke and spinal cord injury can disrupt communication between the brain and the body, leading to difficulties with movement and other functions. Rehabilitation is often an extended process, and patients may continue to experience functional limitations even after conventional therapy.
Neurotechnology has emerged as an area of growing interest in rehabilitation medicine because it offers potential approaches for supporting the nervous system and reinforcing functional recovery. Non-invasive technologies may also offer advantages by avoiding the need for surgical implantation while potentially allowing patients to participate in rehabilitation programs over extended periods.
NeuroLife’s platform is being developed within this broader field, with the company seeking to use neurotechnology to help individuals regain greater levels of function and independence.
The company’s focus on non-invasive solutions also reflects the broader healthcare industry’s interest in technologies that can potentially be integrated into patient rehabilitation without requiring invasive procedures. As these technologies continue to develop, clinical validation, patient engagement and practical implementation will remain important factors in determining their broader adoption.
Company Advances Development and Commercialization
NeuroLife launched in June 2026 and is now working to advance partnerships, clinical engagement and commercialization efforts. The company’s latest board appointments represent an important step as it builds the leadership capabilities needed to support these activities.
For emerging medical technology companies, the transition from early development to commercialization can involve a range of challenges, including clinical adoption, partnerships, market access, operational scaling and sustainable business development. Experienced board leadership can help companies address these challenges while maintaining a long-term focus on technology development and patient needs.
NeuroLife’s decision to add Coburn and Thomas comes against this backdrop. Their respective experience in healthcare innovation and business growth gives the company additional perspectives as it evaluates opportunities to expand its technology and establish its position within the neurotechnology and rehabilitation markets.
The company is also seeking to strengthen engagement with clinical stakeholders. Such engagement can be important for understanding how new technologies can complement existing rehabilitation approaches and for identifying opportunities to integrate innovative tools into real-world care settings.
Expanding Access to Neurotechnology
NeuroLife’s broader objective is to make its technology available to more people who could potentially benefit from non-invasive neurorehabilitation solutions. The company’s leadership believes that advances in neurotechnology could create new opportunities for people living with disabilities resulting from neurological injury.
The appointments of Coburn and Thomas are expected to support that objective by strengthening the company’s strategic and commercial expertise. Coburn’s experience in healthcare innovation and medical technology commercialization provides insight into the process of moving technologies toward clinical use, while Thomas brings experience in organizational growth and sustainable business development.
As NeuroLife continues its development following its June 2026 launch, the company will focus on building partnerships, engaging with the clinical community and advancing commercialization initiatives. These activities will be central to determining how quickly and effectively its technology can progress toward broader use.
The company’s work also reflects a wider shift toward technology-enabled rehabilitation, where advances in neuroscience, engineering and digital health are creating new tools for patients and clinicians. Non-invasive neurotechnology is one area within this expanding field, with researchers and companies exploring ways to improve functional recovery and support greater independence.
With its strengthened board, NeuroLife intends to continue pursuing its long-term vision of developing accessible neurotechnology solutions for people affected by stroke and spinal cord injury. The addition of two experienced leaders provides the company with expanded expertise as it works to move its platform forward and build the partnerships and commercial infrastructure needed for future growth.
Ultimately, NeuroLife’s next phase will center on translating its technology platform into practical solutions that can support patients, clinicians and rehabilitation programs. As the company advances its clinical engagement and commercialization efforts, the leadership experience of Coburn and Thomas is expected to play a key role in shaping its strategy and supporting its continued development.
About NeuroLife
NeuroLife is the market-facing brand of ActivateNeuro, Inc., formed through a partnership between Battelle and the Neuro Technology Institute to advance next-generation non-invasive neurotechnology. Built on Battelle’s multidisciplinary research and a clinically informed development path, NeuroLife develops neurotechnology that incorporates high-density neuromuscular sensing, intelligent decoding and adaptive stimulation to increase the potential for personalized, data-informed rehabilitation experiences for people recovering from stroke or spinal cord injury.