Paradromics Strengthens Clinical Leadership with Appointment of Dr. William J. Marks Jr. as Chief Clinical Officer
Paradromics Inc., a clinical-stage neurotechnology company developing high-bandwidth brain-computer interface (BCI) systems, has announced the appointment of renowned neurologist and clinical scientist William J. Marks Jr., MD, MS-HCM, as its new Chief Clinical Officer (CCO). The appointment marks an important milestone for the company as it advances the clinical development of its Connexus® Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) platform and expands efforts to translate groundbreaking neuroscience research into practical therapies for people living with severe neurological disabilities.
Dr. Marks joins Paradromics with nearly 30 years of experience spanning academic medicine, implantable medical devices, neuromodulation, digital health, and clinical neuroscience. His appointment reflects the company’s commitment to strengthening its clinical leadership as it progresses from early human studies toward broader clinical development, regulatory advancement, and eventual commercialization.
Supporting the Next Stage of Brain-Computer Interface Development
Paradromics has been rapidly advancing its proprietary BCI technology, which is designed to restore communication and computer interaction for individuals who have lost these abilities due to neurological disorders or severe motor impairment.
The company’s Connexus Brain-Computer Interface represents one of the highest-data-rate neural interface platforms currently under development. By capturing detailed neural activity directly from the brain, the system aims to translate a person’s intended speech or movement into digital commands, enabling communication and interaction with computers even when physical movement is severely limited.
The appointment of Dr. Marks comes at a pivotal time for the organization as it expands clinical evaluation of this technology through its FDA-approved Connect-One Early Feasibility Study.
As Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Marks will oversee the company’s clinical strategy while working closely with research teams, physicians, regulatory experts, and engineering groups to ensure that future development remains focused on patient needs and clinical outcomes.
Broad Responsibilities Across Clinical Development
In his new leadership role, Dr. Marks will serve as Paradromics’ primary internal clinical executive.
His responsibilities will include:
- Leading overall clinical strategy
- Guiding product development from a physician’s perspective
- Supporting regulatory planning and interactions
- Helping identify future therapeutic indications
- Overseeing clinical implementation
- Building evidence required for regulatory approval
- Supporting commercialization planning
- Developing long-term clinical roadmaps for future applications
By integrating clinical expertise into every stage of product development, Paradromics aims to ensure that its technology not only demonstrates technical performance but also delivers meaningful improvements for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers.
CEO Highlights Importance of Clinical Leadership
Paradromics Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Angle, PhD, emphasized that the company’s transition from first-in-human procedures toward broader clinical adoption requires experienced medical leadership.
According to Angle, Dr. Marks brings exactly the combination of scientific knowledge, clinical judgment, and industry experience needed to help the company navigate this important stage.
He noted that Dr. Marks has spent years helping develop implantable neuromodulation technologies while also building clinical science organizations within major healthcare technology companies. Those experiences are expected to play a central role in shaping how Paradromics transforms the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface from an innovative research platform into a scalable medical technology capable of serving patients worldwide.
The CEO also stressed that successful commercialization of brain-computer interfaces requires much more than engineering excellence. Long-term success depends on rigorous clinical evidence, physician adoption, thoughtful regulatory planning, and close collaboration with the broader medical community.
Building on Recent Clinical Momentum
The leadership announcement follows another significant milestone achieved by Paradromics earlier this month.
The company successfully completed the first human implantation of its Connexus Brain-Computer Interface at University of Michigan Health as part of the Connect-One Early Feasibility Study.
This landmark procedure represented a major achievement for the company after years of engineering and preclinical research.
The Connect-One study is evaluating the long-term safety and functionality of the implant in individuals living with severe motor impairments. Researchers are investigating whether the device can safely restore communication capabilities while enabling users to control computers through direct neural signals.
The study also provides critical information that will support future clinical trials and eventual regulatory submissions.
Focus on Patients with Severe Motor Disabilities
Paradromics is developing its technology primarily for individuals who have lost the ability to speak or move because of serious neurological conditions.
Potential future applications include patients affected by:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Brainstem stroke
- Spinal cord injury
- Advanced neuromuscular diseases
- Other severe motor impairments
These conditions often leave patients cognitively intact but physically unable to communicate effectively.
Brain-computer interfaces offer the possibility of restoring communication by decoding neural activity associated with intended speech or movement, allowing users to interact with computers and assistive technologies without relying on muscle control.
Dr. Marks Sees Transformational Opportunity
Dr. Marks described the current stage of brain-computer interface development as similar to earlier periods in neuromodulation, when decades of scientific innovation eventually evolved into widely accepted clinical therapies.
He believes BCIs are approaching a comparable transition from experimental technology to routine clinical care.
According to Dr. Marks, Paradromics has developed a clinical-grade platform capable of restoring essential human capabilities for individuals living with devastating neurological disorders.
His primary objective will be helping translate that technology into practical medical applications supported by rigorous scientific evidence, thoughtful clinical design, and meaningful patient outcomes.
He emphasized that successful innovation in this field requires balancing technological advancement with clinical excellence to ensure that future therapies truly improve patients’ quality of life.
Extensive Academic and Industry Experience
Dr. Marks brings an exceptional combination of academic, clinical, and commercial expertise.
For nearly twenty years, he served as Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he specialized in neurological disorders while conducting clinical research and training future neurologists.
His academic work established him as a recognized authority in clinical neuroscience.
Leadership in Deep Brain Stimulation
Between 2004 and 2010, Dr. Marks served as Consultant Medical Director for Medtronic’s global Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) business.
During this period, he gained extensive experience in developing and commercializing implantable Class III medical devices used to treat movement disorders and other neurological conditions.
His work included helping guide clinical development strategies while supporting physician education and global adoption of neuromodulation technologies.
This experience provides valuable insight into the complex clinical and regulatory pathways required for advanced implantable devices.
Experience at Verily Life Sciences
From 2016 through 2023, Dr. Marks held several senior leadership positions at Verily Life Sciences, Alphabet’s healthcare technology company.
He served as both:
- Head of Clinical Neurology
- Head of Clinical Science
During his tenure, he established Verily’s neurology platform and led multidisciplinary clinical science teams supporting a broad portfolio of healthcare research initiatives.
His responsibilities included integrating clinical medicine with advanced technology development, an experience highly relevant to Paradromics’ interdisciplinary approach.
Entrepreneurial and Investment Experience
In addition to academic and corporate leadership, Dr. Marks also co-founded Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, where he served as General Partner and Chief Medical Officer.
The investment firm focused on identifying and supporting companies developing innovative neurological technologies and treatments.
This entrepreneurial background gives him additional perspective on product development, commercialization, strategic planning, and innovation within the rapidly growing neurotechnology sector.
Strong Educational Foundation
Dr. Marks has built an impressive educational background that combines medicine, neuroscience, and healthcare management.
His academic credentials include:
- Bachelor of Science from Marquette University
- Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Neurology residency at University of California, San Francisco
- Fellowship in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at UCSF
- Master of Science in Health Care Management from the Harvard School of Public Health
This diverse training has enabled him to combine scientific expertise with leadership in healthcare delivery and organizational management.
Expanding the Future of Brain-Computer Interfaces
Paradromics believes that brain-computer interfaces have the potential to fundamentally transform care for patients living with severe neurological disabilities.
While current development focuses primarily on restoring speech and computer control, future applications may extend to broader neurological conditions requiring advanced neural communication technologies.
The company intends to continue generating clinical evidence while refining its platform to support additional indications over time.
With Dr. Marks now leading clinical strategy, Paradromics enters its next phase of development with strengthened medical leadership and expanded expertise.
His extensive background in neurology, implantable medical devices, clinical research, and healthcare innovation positions the company to navigate the increasingly complex path from early clinical feasibility studies to larger pivotal trials and eventual commercialization.
As the Connect-One study progresses and additional clinical data become available, Paradromics aims to continue advancing its Connexus Brain-Computer Interface as a next-generation solution designed to restore communication, independence, and quality of life for people living with serious neurological disorders.
The appointment reinforces the company’s long-term vision of combining cutting-edge engineering with rigorous clinical science to help bring transformative brain-computer interface technologies into mainstream medical practice.
About Paradromics
Paradromics builds brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies for seamless human-technology integration, designed to restore and enhance human capabilities. The company’s first-generation device, the Connexus® BCI, is the highest-data-rate brain-computer interface in the world, designed to capture neural activity at the resolution of individual neurons and translate neural intent into speech, computer control, movement, and other essential human functions.
Paradromics’ first clinical application is designed to help people living with advanced motor neuron disease regain communication and more independent control of the world around them. The same platform is expected to support direct AI interaction, advanced prosthetics, sensory feedback, and next-generation treatments for mental health and other neurological conditions.
With each new application, Paradromics aims to create a new path to functional recovery where biological cures have not yet been discovered or may not be possible, expanding human capability and enabling the fuller expression of human intelligence. Paradromics is headquartered in Austin, Texas.