Ian Burkhart is a C5 tetraplegic and brain-computer interface pioneer whose work is reshaping how neurotechnology is developed and deployed. After a 2010 diving accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, Ian became the first person in the world to restore movement to a paralyzed hand using an implanted BCI, helping researchers demonstrate both motor and sensory restoration through neurotechnology.
He is the founder and president of the BCI Pioneers Coalition, a global community led by implantable BCI research participants that brings together lived-experience experts, researchers, companies, and regulators to guide ethical, patient-centered innovation in neurotechnology. Ian also leads the Ian Burkhart Foundation, serves as past president of the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, and sits on the FDA’s Patient Engagement Advisory Committee, where he advocates for integrating patient perspectives into medical device development and policy.
Through his consulting, speaking, and advocacy, Ian works with medical device companies, research teams, and nonprofits to ensure that BCIs and other assistive technologies close the gap between lab breakthroughs and real-world access, improving independence and quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries worldwide.