About
Mission
SynapSense exists to advance objective, neuroscience-based approaches to pain assessment through rigorous research, ethical human studies, and responsible technology development. The project is driven by the belief that while pain is inherently subjective, its neural correlates can be studied systematically and measured in ways that complement, rather than replace, patient self-report.
Our mission is not to oversimplify pain, but to bring clarity, reproducibility, and physiological grounding to how pain is studied and understood.
Origin and Rationale
SynapSense was founded in response to a persistent gap in pain research and clinical practice: the absence of validated, continuous, objective biomarkers of pain. Despite decades of progress in neuroscience, pain assessment remains largely dependent on intermittent subjective measures that are vulnerable to bias, recall error, and limited accessibility.
This gap is especially consequential for populations that cannot reliably self-report, for longitudinal studies where pain fluctuates over time, and for research settings where outcome noise limits interpretability. SynapSense emerged from academic neuroscience work at The University of Texas at Austin with the goal of addressing this challenge through methodologically rigorous investigation rather than premature clinical claims.
Team
SynapSense is built by a multidisciplinary team of students from The University of Texas at Austin, bringing together diverse academic training, technical skill sets, and lived experiences to tackle the complex challenge of objective pain measurement. The team spans neuroscience, biology, engineering, strategy, development, outreach, and finance, reflecting the inherently interdisciplinary nature of neurotechnology and biomedical research.
The project is led by co-founders Abdurraheem Sheikh and Raimah Rahman, who jointly guide SynapSense's strategic direction and research execution. Their leadership integrates experimental design, scientific validation, ethical oversight, and long-term planning to ensure that the project advances in a disciplined and research-first manner. Development efforts are led by Raquel Paz Bergia, who focuses on translating research requirements into functional systems and experimental workflows. Mateo Hernandez Ortiz supports outreach and engagement, helping connect SynapSense with participants, academic programs, and broader research communities, while Defne Deliormanli oversees financial planning and operational coordination to support sustainable research progress.
As a team, SynapSense reflects a wide range of perspectives and experiences shaped by different academic paths, technical interests, and personal backgrounds. This diversity enables the team to approach pain not only as a scientific problem, but as a human one, requiring sensitivity, rigor, and collaboration across disciplines. Operating within an academic research environment, the team emphasizes methodological rigor, clear division of responsibility, and transparency, leveraging its multifaceted composition to drive thoughtful, responsible innovation.
Research-First Philosophy
SynapSense is intentionally research-driven. The project prioritizes feasibility, validation, and interpretability before any consideration of translation or deployment.
Key Principles
- Scientific restraint over exaggerated claims
- Ethical human-subject research as a prerequisite, not an afterthought
- Objective signals as complements to subjective experience, not replacements
- Transparency in methodology, limitations, and uncertainty
- Iterative development grounded in data rather than assumptions
This philosophy shapes how studies are designed, how results are interpreted, and how progress is communicated.
Academic and Institutional Context
SynapSense conducts research within the academic environment of The University of Texas at Austin. Research activities are supported through collaborations with established university research groups, access to institutional infrastructure, and oversight through formal ethical review processes.
Human-subject research is conducted under Institutional Review Board approval, and all protocols adhere to institutional standards for participant safety, informed consent, and data security.
This academic grounding ensures that SynapSense remains aligned with established scientific norms and best practices.
Interdisciplinary Approach
The work of SynapSense sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines:
Neuroscience, particularly sensory and cortical electrophysiology
Biomedical engineering and signal processing
Machine learning applied to physiological data
Clinical pain research and behavioral measurement
Rather than privileging one discipline over others, SynapSense integrates these perspectives to address pain as a complex, multidimensional phenomenon.
Values
SynapSense is guided by the following core values:
Integrity
Claims follow data, not ambition
Respect
Pain is a lived experience deserving careful study
Rigor
Methods are chosen for validity, not convenience
Transparency
Limitations are disclosed openly
Responsibility
Human research demands ethical discipline
These values inform both internal decision-making and external communication.
Organizational Status
SynapSense operates as SynapSense Technologies LLC, an early-stage research organization formed to support structured collaboration, program participation, and responsible stewardship of intellectual property. The organization is pre-revenue and focused exclusively on research and development activities.
Commitment to Responsible Progress
SynapSense is committed to advancing carefully, guided by evidence and oversight rather than speed. Progress is evaluated against scientific and ethical benchmarks, and advancement to future stages will depend on demonstrated reliability, validity, and societal benefit.
SynapSense remains a research-stage initiative. All work is investigational and conducted under ethical oversight. The project does not provide diagnostic or therapeutic services.