Gold Electrode Awards to be Presented at 2006 Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco

Neurotech Reports editors will announce the winners of the 2006 Gold Electrode Awards at the annual Neurotech Leaders Forum, to be held September 28-29, 2006 at the Crowne Plaza San Francisco International Airport. The awards will be presented at a luncheon ceremony the second day of the event. Award categories include Best New Product, Most Promising Start-Up Firm, and Neurotechnology Researcher of the Year. There will also be recognition for non-profit organizations and financial professionals involved with the neurotechnology industry.

Robert P. “Skip” Cummins, chairman and CEO of Cyberonics Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the event. Several other neurotechnology pioneers will be on hand, including Philip Kennedy M.D., Ph.D. of Neural Signals, the first to implant a brain-computer interface in a paralyzed and locked-in human patient, and Ted Berger, Ph.D., from University of Southern California, a pioneer in the development of neural-silicon hybrid chips that combine VLSI and neuronal processing.

The first day will feature short courses on technology, market, and funding issues related to the industry. Neurotech Business Report senior technical editor Warren Grill from Duke University will offer his course, Basics of Neurotechnology, followed by a session on obtaining venture capital financing, led by NBR senior financial editor Glenn Cornett. NBR editor James Cavuoto will wrap up the day with a session on neurotechnology market fundamentals.

The second day will feature a series of panel discussions on topics related to the industry. After the keynote address, a session entitled the M&A Climate for Neurotechnology will examine the current competitive outlook and opportunities for new M&A activity. Executives from Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, and other firms will speak on this panel.

A session entitled The Clinician’s Perspective will examine the role that medical specialists play in the design, development, and approval of neurotech devices. Panelists include James Campbell, a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Michael Keith, an orthopedic surgeon at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. An afternoon entrepreneur panel will feature presentations from CEOs of several promising neurotech startups, and the day will wrap up with a panel devoted to observations and recommendations from the venture capital community.

For more information on attending or sponsoring the Neurotech Leaders Forum, visit www.neurotechreports.com/pages/
leadersforum.html.