Synchron Expands Executive Team with Appointment of Andy Rasdal as Chief of Staff and Mark Brister as VP R&D
- Medical device leaders who have built and scaled category-defining products join Synchron to help drive its next-generation brain-computer interface platform as well as accelerate towards commercialization
Synchron, a category-defining brain-computer interface (BCI) company, today announced the appointment of Andy Rasdal as Chief of Staff and Mark Brister as VP R&D. The appointments bring deep experience in launching and scaling category-leading medical devices, positioning Synchron to advance its Stentrode® BCI through U.S. clinical trials and prepare for global market entry.
Mr. Rasdal, who joined Synchron's Board of Directors in 2023, will transition into a full-time executive role while continuing to serve on the Board. With more than 30 years in the medical device industry, Rasdal has repeatedly led companies from breakthrough innovation to market leadership. As CEO of DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM), he oversaw FDA approval, IPO, and the launch of the company's first continuous glucose monitoring system, a product that transformed diabetes management globally. He later served as founding CEO of Obalon Therapeutics, guiding the company through FDA PMA approval, IPO, and commercialization of its novel obesity treatment device. Earlier in his career, Rasdal was President of Medtronic Vascular and Vice President of Global Marketing at Arterial Vascular Engineering, acquired by Medtronic for $4.3 billion.
"Andy and Mark have built multiple billion-dollar market leaders from the ground up," said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and Founder, Synchron. "They will be force-multipliers for Synchron. We have some groundbreaking advancements in our pipeline."
Mr. Brister joins Synchron with more than 38 years of experience pioneering medical device technologies, launching over 100 products, and holding more than 450 patents. He has held senior engineering and R&D leadership roles at Guidant Corp., Arterial Vascular Engineering, Medtronic, DexCom, and Obalon Therapeutics. Brister's innovations have helped define multiple device categories, from vascular interventions to diabetes care and gastrointestinal devices.
"I believe Synchron is one of the most important medical device companies of this generation," said Rasdal. "Synchron's BCI has the potential to restore autonomy to millions living with motor impairment, and I'm honored to join the team full-time to help make that vision a reality."
"What drew me to Synchron, is the chance to apply decades of product development and scale-up experience to a technology with the potential to transform millions of lives," said Brister. "The Stentrode® BCI is a once-in-a-generation innovation, one that could restore independence for people with severe paralysis and redefine the connection between the brain and the digital world."
About Synchron
Synchron is the category-defining brain-computer interface (BCI) company pioneering implantable neurotechnology designed to restore autonomy and improve lives. Its mission is to bring the first commercially scalable BCI to millions of people with motor impairment. Synchron has completed two human clinical trials since 2019 and is preparing for a larger-scale study. The company's implantable BCI is now powered by Chiral AI™, a proprietary foundation model of cognition. With the BCI market projected to reach $400 billion (Morgan Stanley), Synchron is leading the field while prioritizing ethical development grounded in Cognitive Liberty and the protection of fundamental rights. Synchron is headquartered in New York. Learn more at synchron.com and follow @synchroninc.
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Media Contact
Kimberly Ha
Synchron
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