Our Team

Directors

  • A smiling man with a shaved head, wearing a navy blazer and light blue shirt, in a professional setting

    Saksham Gupta, MD, MPH

    President

    Clinical Instructor in Skull Base Neurosurgery, Stanford University

    Leads Synapse’s clinical partnerships, education programs, and development and evaluation of AI tools.

  • A smiling man in a white lab coat with a red tie, short brown hair and blue eyes, against a neutral background.

    Timothy Smith, MD, PhD, MPH

    Director

    Neurosurgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School

    Provides clinical and research guidance across Synapse’s education and technology programs.

  • Professional portrait of a woman with long black hair, smiling, wearing a white top.

    Hinna Malik, MD

    Director

    Neuroanesthesiologist and Intensivist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

    Brings neuroanesthesia and perioperative expertise to Synapse’s clinical education and partnerships.

  • Professional woman with long wavy hair, smiling, wearing a black blazer, white blouse, and a gold necklace with a four-leaf clover pendant, standing in an office setting.

    Gabrielle Luiselli, MD

    Director

    Neurosurgery Resident, Mass General Brigham

    Supports clinical partnerships and research, including safety evaluation of Kora’s recommendations.

  • Close-up portrait of a young woman with long dark hair, smiling, wearing a black blazer and a white top, with a blurred office background.

    Maddie Ikeya

    Director

    Strategic Insights Consultant, BASIS Health

    Leads communications and media work, sharing the experiences of Synapse’s teams and collaborators.

Clinical Partners · Ghana

  • Portrait of a woman with dark skin and braided hair, wearing a white shirt with black floral designs and pearl earrings, against a plain dark grey background.

    Mabel Banson, MBChB, FWACS

    Consultant Neurosurgeon

    Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana

    Helps shape Synapse’s clinical education and research partnership with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

  • Portrait of a man wearing a white shirt and a patterned tie, against a black background.

    Kwadwo Darko, MBChB

    Research Fellow, Geisinger

    Korle Bu Teaching Hospital collaboration, Ghana

    Helps coordinate Kora implementation, clinical research, and collaboration across partner teams.

The Gambia

  • Close-up of a smiling man with dark skin, short black hair, wearing a light blue shirt and a stethoscope around his neck.

    John Jabang, MD

    Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon

    Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, The Gambia

    Provides clinical leadership for Synapse’s education and research partnership in The Gambia.

  • A smiling woman with glasses and a orange headscarf standing outside a glass building.

    Jay Touray, MD

    Medical Officer

    Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, The Gambia

    Coordinates clinical research, team training, and Kora implementation with our Gambian partners.

Cameroon

  • Ignatius Esene, MD, PhD, MPH

    Ignatius Esene, MD, PhD, MPH

    Neurosurgeon, Garoua Regional Hospital

    University of Bamenda, Cameroon

    Provides clinical guidance and leadership for Synapse’s research partnership in Cameroon.

  • Nathan Kengo

    Nathan Kengo

    Clinical Research

    University of Garoua, Cameroon

    Helps coordinate Kora implementation, study activities, and communication with the Cameroon team.

Senegal

  • Maguette Mbaye, MD

    Maguette Mbaye, MD

    Professor of Neurosurgery

    Cheikh Anta Diop University / Fann University Hospital, Senegal

    Provides clinical guidance for Synapse’s research collaboration in Senegal.

  • Richard Djigo

    Richard Djigo

    Neurosurgery

    Cheikh Anta Diop University / Fann University Hospital, Senegal

    Helps coordinate clinical research and collaboration with the Senegal team.

  • Issiaga Bah

    Neurosurgery Resident

    Cheikh Anta Diop University / Fann University Hospital, Senegal

    Contributes to clinical research and implementation with our Senegal partners.

Nigeria

  • Olakunle Adegboye, MBChB, FWACS, FMCS

    Olakunle Adegboye, MBChB, FWACS, FMCS

    Consultant Neurosurgeon

    University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

    Provides clinical guidance and leadership for Synapse’s research partnership in Nigeria.

  • Timothy Oyegbami

    Timothy Oyegbami

    Neurosurgery Resident

    University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

    Supports Kora implementation and WAIN research with our Nigerian partners.

  • Oluwamayowa Opara

    Oluwamayowa Opara, MBBS, FWACS

    Consultant Neurosurgeon

    Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri, Nigeria

    Provides clinical guidance and leadership for Synapse’s research partnership in Nigeria.

  • Dede Collins, MBBS

    Dede Collins, MBBS

    Neurosurgery Resident

    Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri, Nigeria

    Supports clinical research and coordination of WAIN study activities in Nigeria.

  • Godwin Nwankwor

    Godwin Nwankwor

    Medical Student

    University of Ilorin, Nigeria

    Contributes to clinical research and WAIN study activities in Nigeria.

  • Destiny Emeka

    Neurosurgery Resident

    Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri, Nigeria

    Contributes to clinical research and WAIN study activities in Nigeria.

  • Stanley Nnara, MBBS, MWACS, MNPMCN

    Stanley Nnara, MBBS, MWACS, MNPMCN

    Neurosurgery Resident

    University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

    Contributes to clinical research and WAIN study activities in Nigeria.

Advisors & Collaborators

  • A young man in a gray suit and pink striped tie smiling outdoors with green trees in the background.

    Zade Akras

    Medical Student, Harvard–MIT Health Sciences and Technology

    Supports clinical research, Kora implementation, and analysis of how the tool is used in practice.

  • A man wearing a blue suit, light blue shirt, and patterned tie, smiling and holding a microphone. Text at the bottom reads "Dr. Kee B. Park, MD, MPH."

    Kee Park, MD, MPH

    Neurosurgeon; Director of Policy and Advocacy

    Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School

    Contributes to clinical partnerships, research design, and health policy across Synapse’s programs.

  • A professional headshot of a man with short dark hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue checkered shirt and a dark blazer, smiling slightly against a plain light gray background.

    John Rolston, MD, PhD

    Neurosurgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School

    Contributes expertise in epilepsy surgery and clinical education to Synapse’s partnerships.

  • A middle-aged man with glasses, a short beard, and a slight smile, dressed in a dark suit jacket and white shirt, in front of a plain light gray background.

    Ali Aziz-Sultan, MD, MBA

    Neurosurgeon, Mass General Brigham / Harvard Medical School

    Contributes neurosurgical expertise to Synapse’s clinical education and international partnerships.

  • Alex Golby, MD

    Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology

    Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School

    Advises on research methods and study design for Synapse’s clinical technology programs.

  • Anna Makanju

    Anna Makanju

    Head of AI for Civil Society and Philanthropy

    OpenAI Foundation

    Advises on AI implementation strategy and the global implications of Synapse’s work.

  • Joshua Achiam

    Joshua Achiam, PhD

    Independent AI Researcher

    Non-resident Senior Fellow, Foundation for American Innovation

    Provides strategic guidance on AI research and its potential applications in clinical care.

  • Skip Victor, MBA

    Skip Victor, MBA

    Co-Founder, Balmoral Funds

    Advises on organizational strategy and communicating the purpose and potential of Synapse’s work.

  • Keelan Schule

    Keelan Schule

    Solutions Engineer, OpenAI

    Contributes engineering, deployment support, and training for Kora and its research tools.

  • Yaw Tachie-Baffour, MD

    Yaw Tachie-Baffour, MD

    Complex Spine Surgery Fellow

    Brown University

    Contributes to the Ghana clinical partnership and helped bring NousNav to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.