Feinstein Institutes’ Chad Bouton receives Tesla Innovator of the Year Award

Professor Bouton is recognized during the annual Tesla Legacy Gala for groundbreaking developments in brain-computer interface technology and ‘double neural bypass’ clinical trial that helped a man living with paralysis move and feel again

Northwell Health and The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research’s Chad Bouton received the Tesla Innovator of the Year Award from the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. Prof. Bouton was recognized for developing the brain-computer interface and neurostimulation technology demonstrated in the first-in-the-world “double neural bypass” clinical trial that helped a man living with quadriplegia move and feel again. The award was given to him during the Annual Tesla Legacy Gala on November 16 at Flowerfields in St. James, NY.

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Chad Bouton (right) is handed the 2023 Tesla Innovator of the Year Award from Marc Alessi, executive director of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe during its Tesla Legacy Gala. (Credit: High Tide Media LLC)

Prof. Bouton, a leader in bioengineering, neural bypass technology and bioelectronic medicine, oversaw the technology development and clinical trial that achieved a significant milestone in brain-computer interface and neurostimulation technology. Prof. Bouton and his team of engineers, neuroscientists and neurosurgeons, Ashesh Mehta, MD, PhD, and Netanel Ben-Shalom, MD, successfully prepared and implanted microchips into the brain of a man living with paralysis, Keith Thomas, and have developed artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to re-link his brain to his body and spinal cord. This double neural bypass forms an electronic bridge that allows information to flow once again between the man’s paralyzed body and brain to restore movement and sensations in his hand with lasting gains in his arm and wrist outside of the laboratory. During a press conference in July, the research team unveiled the trial participant’s groundbreaking progress four months after the 15-hour open-brain surgery at North Shore University Hospital.

Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization with the goal to develop the site of Nikola Tesla’s last remaining laboratory into a global science center that embraces his bold spirit of invention, provides learning experiences, fosters the advancement of new technologies and preserves his legacy in the Tesla Museum. The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe has chosen to honor Prof. Bouton for his remarkable leadership, innovative approach and the tangible impact of his research on individuals affected by paralysis.

“It is a privilege to receive this award from the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. On behalf of myself and the team, we are immensely grateful for the recognition and remain committed to advancing the boundaries of neural bypass technology to improve the lives of individuals affected by paralysis and the loss of movement and sensation,” said Prof. Bouton, vice president of advanced engineering at Northwell Health. “Keith Thomas, our clinical trial participant, is an inspiration to all. His commitment to the science and selflessness will improve the lives of many more people like him.”

More than 100 million people globally live with significant movement and sensory impairments. This trial looks to restore movement beyond the confines of a lab and restore the sense of touch. Mr. Thomas, 45, from Massapequa, NY, was the first individual to be implanted and stimulated with this technology. He suffered a spinal injury at the C4 and C5 levels due to a diving accident on July 18, 2020, rendering him paralyzed from the chest down. Encouragingly, initial results indicate a potential reversal of some damage, with Mr. Thomas experiencing a notable increase in arm strength, which has more than doubled since the start of the trial, and emerging sensations in his forearm and wrist, even without the system activated.

“The important teamwork between Prof. Bouton, his colleagues, and Keith Thomas marks an historic step in the evolution of bioelectronic medicine and brain-computer interface technology,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “In the history of medicine, there is always a first patient who opens a new door for millions of others, and we are witnessing this today in the history of treating spinal cord injury.”

During the Gala, the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe and esteemed guests honored Prof. Bouton along with other individuals who have made significant strides in their scientific fields, including Yacov Shamash, PhD, Stonybrook University, who was the recipient of the Tesla Lifetime Achievement Award and Sammy Chu, Edgewise Energy who received the Tesla Rising Star Award.

For additional information, photos, and videos of Prof. Bouton, the team, and Mr. Thomas, click here.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, and molecular medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.

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