William J. Marks Jr.
Chief Clinical Officer of Paradromics since July 2026, a neurologist who previously built Verily's neurology clinical programme and advised Medtronic's deep brain stimulation business.
Background
William J. Marks Jr., MD, MS-HCM, is a neurologist who spent nearly two decades on the UCSF faculty as Professor of Neurology. From 2004 to 2010 he was also consultant medical director for Medtronic’s global deep brain stimulation business, working on the clinical development and commercialisation of its implanted devices. From 2016 to 2023 he was Head of Clinical Neurology and Head of Clinical Science at Verily, Alphabet’s life sciences company, where he built its neurology platform. He then co-founded the investment firm Nexus NeuroTech Ventures as general partner and chief medical officer; it wound down on 31 March 2026.
Role at Paradromics
Paradromics appointed Marks Chief Clinical Officer on 7 July 2026 as its full-time internal clinical lead, a post separate from the chief medical officer role held by neurosurgeon Stephen Ryu. Marks has said brain-computer interfaces are “entering a moment similar to earlier chapters in neuromodulation, when decades of scientific and technical progress begin to become routine clinical care”.
Latest
Paradromics’ Connect-One early feasibility study runs at University of Michigan Health, UC Davis Health and Mass General Brigham under an FDA investigational device exemption granted in November 2025. Its first participant, implanted in June 2026, has used the Connexus implant to generate her own words in real time. In August the FDA allowed compatible personal laptops, tablets and phones to be added to the study without per-device approval, and Paradromics identified a second patient.
Why it matters
Marks brings experience of moving an implanted neuromodulation therapy from trials into routine clinical use. That is the next task for Paradromics as it moves from a single participant towards multi-site enrolment and, eventually, a pivotal trial.
Coverage on InsideBCI
- 7 July 2026: Paradromics hires Verily’s former head of clinical neurology as Chief Clinical Officer
- 26 August 2026: Paradromics wins FDA approval to connect its Connexus BCI to personal laptops, tablets and phones inside Connect-One
- 16 September 2026: Paradromics’s first Connexus participant used a brain implant to speak her own words