Synaptive Medical Recruits Surgical, Imaging Experts for Clinical Advisory Board

Synaptive Medical has formed a Clinical Advisory Board to help guide the firm’s long-term clinical and technology strategy across its surgical visualization, navigation, and MRI platforms.

The board will serve as a collaborative forum, providing direct operating-room and clinical practice insight to inform platform evolution, clinical priorities, and evidence generation as Synaptive’s technologies are adopted across neurosurgery and related specialties worldwide.

Synaptive’s technologies are used in many institutions globally and are supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed evidence demonstrating meaningful improvements in surgical performance, patient outcomes, and health system value. The Clinical Advisory Board’s formation underscores Synaptive’s commitment to advancing innovation that pushes technical boundaries and integrates seamlessly into real-world surgical workflows, evolving care delivery models, and the practical demands of diverse healthcare settings, company bigwigs claim.

As Synaptive scales across neurosurgery and adjacent clinical domains, the board will help ensure innovation remains closely aligned with clinical reality, supporting responsible deployment across care settings worldwide.

“We are honored to partner with a group of clinicians who bring deep expertise and a shared commitment to advancing patient care through thoughtful, clinically grounded innovation,” said Joshua Bernstock, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Clinical Advisory Board and a member of Synaptive Medical’s Board of Directors. “Their insight will help ensure our platforms continue to evolve in ways that are clinically meaningful, supported by rigorous evidence, and responsive to the future of surgical care. This board reflects our belief that the most impactful technologies are built in close partnership with the clinicians who use them every day.”

Initial members of Synaptive’s Clinical Advisory Board include:

Constantinos G. Hadjipanayis, M.D., Ph.D., professor and executive vice chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery; L. Dade Lunsford Chair in Neurological Surgery; director, Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery; co-director, UPMC Brain Tumor Center; director, Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Hillman Cancer Center; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pittsburgh, PA).

Dr. Hadjipanayis is a renowned neurosurgeon-scientist advancing brain tumor treatment through innovation in surgical technology, translational research, and intraoperative visualization. He leads high-impact clinical trials and laboratory programs focused on glioblastoma, fluorescence-guided surgery, and nanotechnology-based therapies, and has pioneered intraoperative tools now integrated into clinical practice worldwide.

G. Rees Cosgrove, M.D., chief, Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA). Dr. Cosgrove is an internationally recognized leader in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery with more than three decades of experience. He specializes in the surgical treatment of epilepsy, movement disorders, and advanced neuromodulation procedures, including deep brain stimulation and MR-guided focused ultrasound. He has been at the forefront of adopting and refining advanced neurosurgical technologies and is widely respected as a clinical leader and educator.

Elad I. Levy, M.D., chair, Department of Neurosurgery, University at Buffalo; professor of Neurosurgery, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Buffalo, N.Y.). Dr. Levy is a neurosurgeon, physician-scientist, and national leader in cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery. He has held prominent academic and organizational leadership roles, including service on the American Board of Neurological Surgery and executive leadership within the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Levy has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, led landmark international clinical trials in stroke and carotid revascularization, and advanced minimally invasive, image-guided neurointerventional techniques.

Nicholas Theodore, M.D., chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix; physician executive, Neurosciences Service Line, Banner Health (Phoenix). Dr. Theodore is a neurosurgeon and clinical researcher known for contributions to spinal trauma, minimally invasive surgery, robotics, and personalized neurosurgical care. He has held senior leadership roles at major academic institutions, led innovation in image-guided and robotic surgical systems, and published extensively across complex spinal and neurosurgical domains.

Dung Nguyen, M.D., PharmD, clinical professor of Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University; director of Breast Reconstruction, Stanford Women’s Cancer Center; director of Microsurgery and Microsurgery Fellowship, Stanford Health Care (Palo Alto, Calif.). Dr. Nguyen is a highly experienced plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, complex microsurgery, and lymphedema surgical treatment and prevention. She leads multidisciplinary clinical and educational programs, has received innovation awards in reconstructive care, and is actively engaged in clinical research and surgical education.

David S. Liebeskind, M.D., founding co-director, The University of Southern California Neurovascular Center; professor of Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Radiology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, and adjunct professor at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. Dr. Liebeskind is a leading expert in cerebrovascular disease and neuroimaging whose work spans stroke, brain ischemia, and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. His research emphasizes multidisciplinary care and the integration of imaging science into clinical decision-making to improve neurological outcomes.

Vitor Pereira, M.D., Schroeder Chair in Advanced Neurovascular Interventions, director of Endovascular Research and Innovation; lead scientist, RADIS Lab, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital; professor of Surgery and Medical Imaging, University of Toronto (Canada). Dr. Pereira is an internationally recognized neurointerventional leader specializing in minimally invasive and endovascular treatment of complex cerebrovascular disease, including stroke and aneurysms. He leads translational programs integrating advanced imaging, robotics, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling to advance precision neurovascular care, remote intervention, and next-generation training platforms.

Mitesh V. Shah, M.D., chair, Department of Neurological Surgery and co-director of the Indiana University/Indiana University Health Neuroscience Institute; Paul B. Nelson Endowed Professor of Neurosurgery and Adjunct Professor of Otolaryngology at the Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, Ind.). Dr. Shah is an academic neurosurgeon and departmental leader with expertise in skull base and neuro-oncologic surgery. As chair at Indiana University, he has guided program growth, multidisciplinary collaboration, and research integration while maintaining an active clinical practice.

Additional Clinical Advisory Board appointments will be announced in the next few months.

“Synaptive was built on the belief that the most meaningful innovation happens when engineers and clinicians work closely together,” Synaptive Medical President Cameron Piron stated. “As surgery becomes increasingly data-driven and interdisciplinary, close clinical collaboration is essential. Our Clinical Advisory Board reinforces that philosophy and helps ensure our platforms continue to evolve in step with the future needs of surgeons, care teams, and healthcare systems worldwide.”

Synaptive Medical is a global medical technology company solving complex challenges in surgery, imaging, and data integration. Its integrated suite of solutions—spanning MRI, surgical planning, navigation, and robotic visualization—delivers intelligent, patient-centric technology that enhances clinical decision-making and efficiency across every stage of neurosurgical care.