BGU and Brown Empowering Students to Think Entrepreneurially
BGU and Brown Empowering Students to Think Entrepreneurially
August 18, 2025
Current events, Leadership, Awards & Events, Nanotechnology
BrainGurion 4.0 Neuro-Senses Hackathon Brain-Machine Interface Hackathon
News from Brown—Graduate students from Brown University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) put their brains together in a unique summer practicum to invent and pitch ideas for neurotechnology startups.
Each group of four or five consisted of graduate students from Brown University and BGU, and all had an interest in neuroscience.
The goal was for the students to combine their expertise, innovation, and enthusiasm to invent and pitch a new startup as part of a “Shark Tank”-style competition judged by Brown faculty and external investors. However, sharks aren’t quite representative of this spirited and collaborative event, said neuroscience professor Christopher Moore, one of the organizers of the practicum — so the pitch event is referred to as a “dolphin tank.”
The students were charged with using neuroscience and technology to come up with ideas that improve people’s lives. They are provided with tools for success, including instruction in how to use an Arduino programmable circuit board that can be connected to various sensors, LEDs, motors and other components; access to a 3D printer; and nearly 24-hour access to the workshop space.
“The really notable part of this practicum is the hands-on learning, creating, brainstorming and idea generation,” said Oren Shriki, an associate professor in BGU’s Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
Each group not only has students from Brown and BGU, but also an intentional mix of interests, which reflects the division of labor at a startup business.
“We used the full potential of everyone on our team, for maximum production,” said Adva Feldman, a master’s student in electrical engineering at BGU.
Throughout the week, the group had heard feedback from venture capital experts, who brough a different perspective than fellow scientists.
“You realize how much you have to think about to get an idea to market,” said Anton Pasternak, a master’s student in cognitive and neuroscience at BGU, who also brought programming experience to the project.
When you invest in BGU, you’re doing more than supporting students—you’re fueling innovation at the intersection of neuroscience and entrepreneurship. That’s where tomorrow’s breakthroughs begin, not just within lab walls, but out in the world, transforming lives. Let’s build the way forward, together: a4bgu.org/recoveryresilience
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