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Padideh Kamali-Zare

Founder & CEO at Darmiyan | Fortune 40 under 40 | TEDMED Hive Innovator | Recipient of 2023 Innovation Award by the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology

Padideh Kamali-Zare is the Founder and CEO of Darmiyan, Inc., a San Francisco-based brain technology company focused on revolutionizing the detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. With a background in Biological Physics, Padideh leads a team of neuroscientists, clinicians, and AI experts at Darmiyan. She introduced the Nobel Laureate-approved Virtual Microscope technology, which sheds light on brain tissue microstructure through geometrical modeling and biological physics. In 2017, Darmiyan joined Y Combinator, and in 2018, Padideh presented at TEDMED. Supported by notable backers and investors like YC, IT-Farm, Eisai, and Soma Capital, Padideh's company has developed BrainSee, an FDA-approved product aiding in prognosing cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's risk.

Highlights

May 11 · linkedin

Why is that we don't notice our brain as much as the rest of our body? Because there is no such thing as "brain pain"; the brain tissue doesn't have pain receptors; and pain is the major reason why we feel an internal organ and pay attention to it. When there is no pain, we assume things are going well. But are they?

The answer is No.

Assume the brain could feel pain: when would it hurt? Under what circumstances would we experience a brain ache? Inflammation? Pressure? Non-physiological changes in the microenvironment around brain cells (ECS) caused by toxic interactions with the outside world accumulated and not effectively cleared out? Disorientation of the ECS geometry or content (matrix)?

The answer is Yes. All of the above.

So brain pain would be a good thing (and in fact needed) in order to find out that things are not going well, we should act quickly, and rescue the brain tissue before it dies -- tasks that #BrainSee has to do instead of a simple pain mechanism.

Then why nature (evolution) hasn't given us just that? A simple brain pain that could save us from disastrous brain diseases down the road?

My answer is: because pain is simple and brain is complex. And nature is evolving from simple to complex. The brain itself is a great manifestation of a never-ending, evolving nature that pays the cost to be the brain.

--- Friday night when the West is going to sleep and the East is waking up...

Apr 26 · linkedin

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Dr. Viktor E. Frankl (Author of 'Man's Search for Meaning')

I was reminded of this quote during a #BrainSee session this morning. The patient (91 years old) described his experience of aging as slowly entering a cage that initially seemed large (unnoticeable) but gradually became smaller; however, the door was always open. Now, with his cognitive impairment, even the door has closed, and he feels trapped inside a small, enclosed cage with no way out.

The doctor said, "Listen, young man! Your body shows you are not as old as you think, and you are doing quite well. The entire goal of the #BrainSee program is to open the door for you and set you free from your own cage—a cage made by you. You always have a choice, and we are going to activate that willpower in you to fight dementia." I was surprised by the doctor's words. Wasn't that too much of a promise? What if the patient doesn’t want to be freed and prefers his quiet corner? What if he needs more help than our program can offer?

As if the doctor was reading my mind, he looked at the patient and continued, "Of course, this is if you are willing to choose freedom over being trapped. And, of course, if you are willing to involve your son in the program as well, so we know someone else is there to care for you. Let's discuss all the resources available to you."

The patient responded, "I want the #BrainSee test. I know it's new and recently FDA-approved. But I don’t know much about this company or about medical AI. However, I want to see if my cognition can be improved and hopefully talk to my friends about things other than just my memory problems. You know what…? I really wish to die outside the cage of aging."

#brain #brainhealth #MCI #aging #mindset #

Padideh Kamali-Zare
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Location

Half Moon Bay, California, United States