Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain chip startup, is one step away from starting human clinical trials. They recently opened a job opening for the clinical trial director position who will lead the ambitious project.
Since its launch in 2017, Neuralink has demonstrated brain implants in pigs and monkeys, including an experiment involving a monkey who was able to play the game Pong using only his mind. If it has been implanted in the human brain, Musk said this chip could help paralyzed people control cellphones with their brains and even walk again.
Before it can get approval from the Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) Neuralink must conduct direct clinical trials in humans. Musk previously said the chip was designed to help with a variety of neurological problems, from memory loss to addiction.
Job vacancies uploaded by Neuralink say the selected candidates will work with the first clinical trial participants. It is not yet known whether Neuralink has started recruiting or even working with participants.
The clinical trial process will begin with a feasibility study to find out how this chip works in a small number of people. Then, because the device was high-risk and had never been installed in a human before, Neuralink had to seek FDA approval to conduct a large-scale clinical trial.
The chip that will be implanted in the human brain will be the size of a coin with electrodes attached to thin, flexible wires. The cord is his main innovation, which uses needles that are stiffer and can damage cells in the brain.
Based on the job vacancies, candidates who are selected to become directors of clinical trials will be responsible for interacting directly with regulators such as the FDA, as quoted from The Verge, Saturday (22/1/2022).
The selected candidate must also be prepared to work in a somewhat less conducive environment. A former Neuralink employee said the work environment at the company was chaotic and stressful to deliver fast progress in a short period of time.
Elon Musk previously predicted that this Neuralink technology could be clinically tested in 2020. But that prediction was of course wrong and if all goes well maybe clinical trials can start this year.