Elon Musk's Brain-Chip Startup Neuralink Looking To Hire Clinical Trial Director In California As It Nears Human Trials

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk-led brain-machine interface startup Neuralink is recruiting a clinical trial director and a coordinator to realize plans for clinical trials in humans.

What Happened: The billionaire entrepreneur's brain chip company has advertised the positions on its website. 

For the clinical director role, Neuralink has invited applications from candidates who would work with “innovative doctors and top engineers” for the startup’s “first clinical trial participants.” 

The job post lists requirements such as the understanding of the clinical trial process from beginning to end. It also lists end-to-end experience of managing critical Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) interactions and working knowledge of the agency’s regulations related to clinical studies as requirements for the position.

FDA approval will play a key role in awarding the experiment's success and safety.

For the coordinator role, the position lists similar qualifications with emphasis on speed.

Both roles would be based in Fremont, California.

See Also: Elon Musk's Neuralink Raises $205M From Google, Others In Series C Funding

Why It Matters: Musk had last month provided a 2022 timeline to begin human trials for Neuralink, pending FDA approval, and said many “problems can be solved just bridging signals between existing neurons.”

Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016. If successful, Neuralink’s mission to connect the brain with semiconductor chips could help cure neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s, dementia, back injuries and more.

The world’s richest person had earlier this year released a video showing a macaque monkey intent on playing a video game only by using thought, thanks to a neural implant allowing him to move the well-known “vintage” Pong game bars with its mind.

Neuralink is not alone and competition in the field is intense. New York-based Synchron last year said it had received the FDA approval to run a clinical trial with human patients, beating out ace rival Neuralink.

Synchron aims to implant a tiny device in the brain to allow paralyzed patients to operate digital devices such as computer cursors with their thoughts.

Photo: Courtesy of Steve Jurvetson via Wikimedia