Ali Rezai to Keynote 2007 Neurotech Leaders Forum in Newport Beach, CA

Ali Rezai, director of the Center for Neurological Restoration at the Cleveland Clinic, will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 Neurotech Leaders Forum, to be held October 25-26 at the Radisson Hotel, Newport Beach, CA. Rezai is one of the leading functional neurosurgeons in the world and was among the first in the country to perform deep brain stimulation surgery.

This year's event, held in southern California for the first time, features a series of tutorial presentations on the first day, including a course on drug-device combination therapies led by NeuroInvestment publisher Harry Tracy. The first day concludes with a panel discussion with disabilities leaders from the neurological disorders community in southern California, who will discuss the implications of neurotechnology approaches to treating conditions such as stroke, movement disorders, and paralysis.

The second day of the conference will feature the keynote address, along with panel discussions relating to reimbursement, VC investment, and emerging technologies. Participants on the reimbursement panel include Jennifer Murray, a former CMS employee and currently president of JGS Group, and Zack Lynch, executive director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization. Venture capital professionals on the investment panel include Sharon Stevenson of Okapi Venture Capital and Daniel O'Connell of NeuroVentures.

Among the startup and emerging neurotechnology firms participating in the program are CNS Response, Second Sight Medical Products, Synapse Biomedical, IntElect Medical, Electrical Geodesics, and Columbia Scientific. Silver sponsors of the event are EaglePicher Medical Power, Greatbatch Inc., and BalSeal Engineering. Other sponsors include CoActive Public Relations, Neurotech Netwrok, NeuroInvestment, Neurotechnology Industry Organization, and the International Neuromodulation Society.

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