WA MTP Sector Spotlight on Cortical Dynamics

Our monthly event series is an opportunity for representatives from across the MTP sector to connect, collaborate and learn about upcoming opportunities, and hear the stories and successes of WA organisations developing health and medical innovations. Join us for networking and conversation over light refreshments afterwards.

Find out more about medical device company Cortical Dynamic’s journey developing its flagship product, Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor (“BARM™”), the next generation medical brain monitor. Its medical brain monitoring technology is capable of measuring both levels of unconsciousness and pain, which can be used to better detect the effect of anaesthetic agents on a patient’s brain activities and aid anaesthetists in keeping patients optimally medicated. The BARM™ devices have been supplied worldwide to 12 hospitals for trials and evaluation.

About Cortical Dynamics

Cortical Dynamics is developing the Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor (“BARM™”), the next generation medical brain capable of measuring both levels of unconsciousness and pain.

BARM™ has been developed with the objective of better detecting the effect of anaesthetic agents on brain activity, aiding anaesthetists to accomplish the fundamental goal of rendering the patient optimally unconscious and immune to pain. BARM™ is based on innovative developments in how the brain’s rhythmic electrical activity, EEG, is interpreted and analysed. This approach produces indices directly related to the physiological state of the brain. This medical device is FDA 510 (k), CE, TGA, Korean MFDS approved.

Notably, Cortical Dynamics was awarded funding and commercialisation support through the BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) accelerator program. Delivered by MTPConnect, the Australian Government’s $45 million BMTH program was a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) initiative to support innovative collaborative health technologies, drive discoveries towards proof-of-concept and commercialisation that address key health challenges as well as maximise entrepreneurship and idea potential.

About our speakers

Ashley Zimpel – Chief Executive Officer

Mr Ashley Zimpel is an experienced public and private company entrepreneur and director. He has held positions as Senior Vice President at Bankers Trust Australia (now Deutsche Bank), Director at Macquarie Bank, Co-founder and Executive Director at Rand Merchant Bank Australia, and Co-founder and Chairman of Marine Produce Australia. Ashley currently sits on the Board of ASX listed Aurora Labs A3D, a leading Perth based technology company focused on metal powder bed fusion 3D printing, and he has also held the position of Councillor at the National Trust of Western Australia since 2022.

Ashley has been CEO of Cortical Dynamics for the past 4 years, focused on strategy, financing, market adoption and commercialisation of BARM™, the company’s flagship technology.

Dr Sunil Belur Nagaraj – Chief Scientific Officer

Dr Sunil Belur Nagaraj’s PhD research focused on developing AI-based real-time neonatal brain monitoring using EEG recordings and artificial intelligence, and he has spearheaded extensive research into the development of cutting-edge AI-based technologies for patient monitoring within neuro ICUs, the advancement of clinical decision-making tools, and the creation of innovative patient monitoring solutions.

Since 2023, Dr. Belur Nagaraj has held the position of Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Dynamics, with an emphasis on developing AI-based innovative brain monitoring technologies aimed at promoting optimal patient health outcomes.