Alumni Voices: 'Using technology to facilitate all aspects of healthcare is what I want to do'

What attracted you to study at King’s?

I wanted to receive a top-level education, and gain experience by studying and working at one of the UK's best universities for neuroscience. I aimed to be taught by key opinion leaders and acquire the experience needed to start my career in the field. That’s exactly what King’s gave me.

Why a masters in neuroscience?

I’ve always loved the brain and I hold a BSc Hons in Psychology. During my undergraduate training, I worked in a hospital's neuroanesthesia ward. I frequently observed surgeries in the operating theatre and conducted neurocognitive assessments during awake procedures. I loved it and I decided to continue specialising in neuroscience.

What’s your favourite memory of King’s?

Visiting the ‘Brain Bank’ with my class is a vivid memory. I hope my brain will be there one day, too. Beyond that, the incredible friendships and connections I made at King’s were absolutely unique.

What’s the key lesson you learnt at King’s?

That I didn’t necessarily have to pursue a career in research. King’s gave me a broad perspective and helped me realise that working in industry was an alternative path instead of going straight into a PhD.

What was your first job after graduating from King’s?

After King’s, I left research and I moved to South Africa. I joined a non-governmental organisation providing access to primary healthcare education in rural areas. That was my first experience working in industry rather than academia. I realised that using technology to facilitate all aspects of healthcare was exactly what I wanted to do.

Can you tell us about the genesis of LIFE Neurotech?

In 2020, I moved to Spain and, in 2022, I joined Sense4Care. This is a business-to-business company that develops a waist-worn medical device for monitoring those with Parkinson’s.

Over the years, we noticed a significant demand from individual Parkinson’s patients wanting to access our technology. A typical patient sees their neurologist only once or twice a year for about half an hour, leaving them without the necessary tools to manage their condition effectively for the rest of the time. To address this gap, we launched LIFE Neurotech.

How does it address this gap?

LIFE Neurotech is dedicated to making Parkinson’s management simpler and more accessible. We provide remote monitoring services for individual patients using STAT-ON, a wearable medical device designed for people with Parkinson's. We empower patients directly through an integrated home monitoring and visit service and we focus on working directly with them.

Is this a passion project for you?

Yes, it is. After earning my MSc at King’s, I quickly realised that research wasn’t enough for me. This became clear to me during my hospital training when I witnessed a Parkinson’s patient undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. The moment he woke up and his symptoms disappeared, I knew that using technology to improve lives was what I wanted to do.

What was the reception of LIFE Neurotech following the launch?

It’s been very positive. We feel that patients have been waiting for a tool like this for a long time. We’re traveling a lot and pitching wherever we can to raise awareness about the project. Our goal is to build something impactful for patients and we’re involving many of them in the tech development process. They’re enthusiastic... and we love it!

What are your ambitions for LIFE Neurotech?

My ambition is for every patient in the world to have one of our devices at home. This will enable them to monitor themselves anytime and anywhere, so they can gain a precise understanding of their symptoms to take action and improve their quality of life. To make this happen, I’m currently raising €4 million in venture capital.

You also still work as the Chief Product Officer at Sense4Care…

LIFE Neurotech is the sister company of Sense4Care and the two are closely intertwined. We use the same product, but the recipients are different. Sense4Care develops this technology to serve the needs of pharmaceutical companies, neurologists and healthcare systems. LIFE Neurotech is targeted at individuals.

What does your role at Sense4Care involve?

I build strategic partnerships with major stakeholders, including big pharmaceutical and tech companies. I also lead the expansion into key markets and I’ve successfully integrated our technology into national healthcare systems.

Our latest milestone was securing the NHS Supply Chain framework for Patient Assessment Devices in the UK. Our next goal is to obtain Food and Drug Administration clearance as an accepted device to reach millions of patients in the US market.

What are your future ambitions? Do you have other ventures in the pipeline?

I love what I do and LIFE Neurotech is my true passion. I also love horses. One of my dreams is to open a neuro-rehabilitation centre for neurological disorders, where we combine equine therapy with technology like ours to monitor and track patients' rehabilitation progress. That’s something I aspire to create one day.

Finally, what advice would you give to King’s alum aiming to launch start-ups?

If you identify a need in the market and have a clear vision of how to address it, go for it. Trust your intuition and, most importantly, take risks. Surround yourself with inspiring people every day and be selective about who you choose to work with.