Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink has hired David McMullen, an executive from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to lead its Medical Affairs unit.
“This role combines scientific rigor, direct patient impact, and the chance to move the entire field of BCI [brain-computer interface] forward,” said David in the company’s blog post on Tuesday. “My highest calling has always been to get safe and effective devices to the people who need them most. Neuralink is one of the very few places where that mission feels not just possible, but urgent.”
McMullen’s first day at Neuralink will be Dec. 22.
McMullen has previously worked at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
At the FDA, McMullen works as the Director, Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In September, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk’s Neuralink said that globally 12 people have received its chip implants. The company’s N1 implant is a BCI device that allows people with quadriplegia to control a computer with their thoughts.
Quadriplegia is a condition characterized by the partial or total loss of function in all four limbs and the torso.