Altoida Forms Scientific Advisory Board

A half-dozen neuroscience, neurology, and cognitive health experts have agreed to serve as inaugural Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) members for Altoida, pledging to help advance the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR)-based Digital NeuroMarker Platform. 

The SAB will guide Altoida in driving innovations in the early detection and intervention of cognitive and functional impairments tied to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are thrilled to welcome these prominent leaders to our Scientific Advisory Board. Their expertise will be invaluable as we continue to pioneer innovative approaches to brain health diagnostics,” Altoida CEO Marc Jones said. “Our goal is to empower clinicians with the tools to detect cognitive decline earlier and more accurately than ever before, giving patients the best possible chance for treatment and improved quality of life.”

The newly appointed members include experts in neuroscience, clinical neurology, cognitive health, and medical technology. Their combined knowledge and experience will strengthen Altoida’s research and development initiatives, accelerating the firm’s vision of providing a user-friendly, scalable platform designed to enabled early diagnosis and improves outcomes for patients globally, according to company executives.

Altoida’s SAB members include:

Sharon Cohen, M.D., a behavioral neurologist and medical director of the Toronto Memory Program, which she founded in 1996 to improve diagnosis, care, and treatment for individuals with or at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Under her leadership, the Toronto Memory Program has grown into one of Canada’s most active memory clinics and research sites, with a 60-member multidisciplinary team. With more than 30 years of clinical research experience, Dr. Cohen has served as principal investigator for over 180 pharmacological trials, earning recognition as a top center for Alzheimer’s research. She advises international boards and committees, consults for government and advocacy groups, and is known for her advocacy for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Cohen is a frequent lecturer and media contributor on topics including medical ethics.

Michael Edgeworth, M.D., a board-certified neurologist and chief medical officer at Nira Medical, a company striving to make neurological treatments accessible. Previously, he was chief population health officer at Octave, pioneering precision care for multiple sclerosis patients. From 2014 to 2021, he served as national medical director and regional medical executive at Cigna, driving clinical innovation and value-based care. Dr. Edgeworth spent a decade in clinical neurology, including roles as assistant professor at Vanderbilt University and chairman of the Department of Medicine at a community hospital. He completed his neurology residency and fellowship at Vanderbilt, earned a medical degree from the University of Mississippi, a master’s degree in clinical investigation from Vanderbilt University, and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Mississippi State University.

John Harrison, Ph.D., is a recognized cognition expert dedicated to helping people understand, maintain, and enhance their cognitive abilities. He is the chief scientific officer at Scottish Brain Sciences, which specializes in clinical trials and neuroscience research. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Harrison has supported more than 80 CNS drug development organizations in integrating cognitive testing into their programs. His Alzheimer’s research began with the AN1792 compound studies, where he developed the Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB)—a tool now widely used in CNS treatment trials. He has also contributed significantly to psychiatric drug development, including the registration of Brintellix. Dr. Harrison is an associate professor at the AUmc Alzheimer Center, a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, and a chartered psychologist with more than 100 publications.

Raymond G. Hill, B.Pharm., Ph.D., DSc (H.C.), FMedSci, is an honorary professor of Pharmacology at Imperial College London, where he researches the potential of substance P antagonists for treating opioid use disorder and teaches postgraduate courses on drug discovery. He chairs the College Impact Accelerator Panel for Healthy Society. Dr. Hill began his career in academia, transitioning to drug discovery research at Merck/MSD, where he led neuroscience research, globally overseeing pain and headache targets and contributing to the development of various drugs. He has held visiting professorships at Bristol, Surrey, and Strathclyde universities. Dr. Hill is President Emeritus of the British Pharmacological Society and has held advisory roles with the U.K. Government, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and Cambridge University. He currently serves as chair or NED for several pharmaceutical companies and has published more than 250 papers on neuropharmacology.

Vijaya B. Kolachalama, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Medicine and Computer Science at Boston University (BU) and a founding member of BU’s Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences. His lab focuses on biomedical machine vision and AI-based frameworks for clinical applications. Before joining BU, he was a principal member of Technical Staff at Draper Laboratory and a postdoctoral Fellow at MIT. Dr. Kolachalama also served as an ORISE fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  His research, published in top journals like Nature Medicine and Brain, is supported by grants from the NIH, AHA, and others. Dr. Kolachalama is a senior member of IEEE, a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and actively collaborates with industry to bring AI-driven solutions to healthcare.

Ioannis Tarnanas, Ph.D., is co-founder of Altoida and leading expert in digital biomarkers and cognitive health. With a background in neuroscience and digital health, Dr. Tarnanas has over two decades of experience working at the intersection of technology and medicine. His research focuses on using immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR) to assess brain health, and he has published extensively in high-impact journals. Dr. Tarnanas has collaborated with numerous academic institutions and global pharmaceutical companies to advance cognitive diagnostics and has been recognized for his work in developing tools that aid in early intervention and improved patient outcomes. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences on brain health and digital innovation.

Altoida develops digital biomarkers for neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Its Altoida Digital NeuroMarker Platform leverages artificial intelligence and augmented reality (AR) to deliver objective and precise assessments of cognitive health. The platform uses a tablet-based app that offers a quick, self-administered series of motor, speech, and AR tasks, simulating daily activities to evaluate brain health. These tasks measure key cognitive metrics, including micro-movements, processing speed, reaction time, and spatial navigation. Altoida is a privately held, venture-backed diagnostics company with a proprietary platform built on more than 20 years of scientific research. Its evidence-based technology has been featured in numerous global pharmaceutical studies and published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals.