Paradromics Appoints William J. Marks, Jr., MD, MS-HCM, as Chief Clinical Officer

Neurologist, clinical scientist, and former Verily leader joins Paradromics as company advances first-in-human clinical study

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paradromics Inc., a leader in neurotechnology and developer of the world’s highest-data-rate brain-computer interface platform to restore human function and advance human capability, today announced the appointment of William J. Marks, Jr., MD, MS-HCM, as Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. Marks is a neurologist and clinical scientist with nearly three decades of experience across clinical neuroscience, implantable medical devices, neuromodulation, and digital health.

Dr. Marks joins Paradromics at a pivotal stage in the company’s growth as it advances the FDA-approved Connect-One Early Feasibility Study of the Connexus^® Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). As Chief Clinical Officer, he will serve as Paradromics’ full-time internal clinical lead, helping guide clinical strategy, product development, clinical implementation, regulatory planning, and the company’s long-term roadmap for new indications.

“Bill brings the kind of clinical leadership Paradromics needs as we move from first-in-human work toward broader clinical translation,” said Matt Angle, PhD, founder and CEO of Paradromics. “He has helped shape the development of implantable neuromodulation technologies and successfully built clinical science organizations inside major technology companies. His experience will be central to how we turn the Connexus BCI into a scalable clinical platform.”

Earlier this month, Paradromics announced the first human implantation of the Connexus BCI as part of the Connect-One Early Feasibility Study at University of Michigan Health. The study is evaluating the long-term use of the Connexus BCI for its ability to safely restore speech and enable computer control for people living with severe motor impairment.

Dr. Marks will focus on helping the company identify the most logical clinical applications for its technology, design products and clinical implementation around the needs of patients, clinicians, and caregivers, and build the clinical evidence required to support regulatory approval and future adoption.

“Brain-computer interfaces are entering a moment similar to earlier chapters in neuromodulation, when decades of scientific and technical progress begin to become routine clinical care and produce significant clinical impact,” said Dr. Marks. “Paradromics has built a clinical-grade platform with the potential to restore essential human capabilities. My focus will be helping translate that platform into applications and outcomes that can serve patients, clinicians, and caregivers with scientific rigor and clinical excellence.”

Dr. Marks has spent much of his career working at the forefront of clinical neuroscience and medical technology. He served as Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for nearly two decades and was Consultant Medical Director for Medtronic’s global Deep Brain Stimulation business from 2004 to 2010, giving him direct experience with the clinical development and commercialization of implantable Class III neuromodulation devices. From 2016 to 2023, Dr. Marks held senior clinical leadership roles at Verily Life Sciences, including Head of Clinical Neurology and Head of Clinical Science, where he built the company’s Neurology platform and led the cross-functional Clinical Science team across Verily’s clinical research programs.

He received his BS from Marquette University, his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, completed his neurology residency and epilepsy/clinical neurophysiology fellowship at UCSF, and earned an MS in Health Care Management from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Marks was also co-founder, General Partner, and Chief Medical Officer of Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, a neurotechnology investment firm that focused on advancing companies developing new approaches to neurological health.

“Paradromics is building a technology company with a healthcare-first foundation,” Angle said. “That distinction is essential. Our ambition is to restore communication, control, and human capability for people with serious neurological conditions, and that requires not only extraordinary engineering, but deep clinical judgment, disciplined evidence generation, and trusted partnerships with the medical community.”

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. For more information, visit www.paradromics.com.

Caution: Connexus BCI is an investigational device limited by United States law to investigational use.

Connexus® and Paradromics™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Paradromics Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.