The event gathered global leaders in science, policy and medicine and put the patients transforming the field front and center
MANHASSET, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The life-altering power of bioelectronic medicine took center stage this week as Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research hosted its seventh Bioelectronic Medicine Summit on September 28-29, 2026, at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
The sold-out international scientific symposium, co-chaired by Eric H. Chang, PhD, associate professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes and Christopher Puleo, PhD, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, brought together nearly 300 experts from leading institutions worldwide, including Harvard University, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the Karolinska Institutet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oxford, while celebrating the impact of neuromodulation devices, brain-computer interface technology and highlighting the journeys of patients whose lives have been dramatically improved by this cutting-edge science. The program also featured two keynote addresses from MIT’s Edward S. Boyden, PhD, who opened Day 1 with his talk on technologies for analyzing and repairing biological systems, and Mikhail G. Shapiro, PhD, from Caltech, who commenced Day 2 by discussing biomolecular ultrasound for cellular imaging and control. Attendees heard about the latest ongoing work from the more than 30 invited speakers, exchanged ideas at the scientific poster sessions, and also took part in an evening boat cruise that departed from Chelsea Piers.
Three Northwell clinical trial participants were recognized during the event: Keith Thomas, Kathy Denapoli and Ellen Driscoll, for their commitment to clinical research in the lab of Chad Bouton, PhD, professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes. Each has been instrumental in advancing neurotechnologies, including Mr. Thomas’ groundbreaking double neural bypass system that allows him to regain sensation and movement, Mrs. Denapoli’s co-operative “human avatar” rehabilitation program using brain-computer interface technology, and Ms. Driscoll’s stroke rehabilitation.
“We assembled many of the leading minds in bioelectronic medicine at this year’s summit to chart medicine’s next frontier,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “The highest validation of this field stems from the patient – many are now returning to their daily lives without pain or regaining movement, sensation, and independence. They embody our mission to produce knowledge to cure disease.”
The summit, titled “New Targets and Therapies Across Organs and Systems” served as a critical platform for leaders, scientists, and industry experts to discuss the latest advancements in device-based therapies from more than 15 companies. The 2026 summit celebrated recent bioelectronic medicine achievements, where decades of foundational research, spanning molecular medicine, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, are now directly translating to treatments for human disease and gaining clinical approval.
“The Bioelectronic Medicine Summit brings together an exceptional set of researchers, clinicians, and industry partners who work across disciplines to drive this field forward,” said Dr. Chang. “The discussions taking place at the Summit foster global scientific cooperation that will produce innovative health solutions for patients around the world.”
From innovation in cardiac care to respiratory treatment, highlights from the summit showcased bioelectronic medicine’s potential to cure diseases across every part of the body. Discussions at the event delved into several topics including:
- Nerve pathways and tools in the heart, airways, liver and gut
- Focused ultrasound tools for brain targets
- Brain computer interfaces to improve human health
- New technology development in bioelectronics
- Neuromodulation to treat cancer
- Neuroimmune interactions and translation
- Advanced neurotechnologies for disease diagnosis and treatment
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the global scientific home of bioelectronic medicine, which combines molecular medicine, neuroscience and biomedical engineering. At the Feinstein Institutes, medical researchers use modern technology to develop new device-based therapies to treat disease and injury.
Building upon years of research in molecular disease mechanisms and the link between the nervous and immune systems, Feinstein Institutes researchers have discovered neural targets that can be activated or inhibited with neuromodulation devices, such as vagus nerve implants, to control the body’s immune response and inflammation. If inflammation is successfully controlled, diseases – such as arthritis, pulmonary hypertension, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases – can be treated more effectively.
Beyond inflammation, using novel brain-computer interfaces, Feinstein Institutes researchers developed techniques to bypass injuries of the nervous system so that people living with paralysis can regain sensation and use their limbs. By producing bioelectronic medicine knowledge, disease and injury could one day be treated with a patient’s own nerves without costly and potentially harmful pharmaceuticals.
For more information about bioelectronic medicine at the Feinstein Institutes, click here.
Additional details about the Bioelectronic Medicine Summit can be found at www.bemsummit.org.
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 six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts
Julianne Mosher Allen
516-880-4824
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