Divya Chander, MD, PhD is an anesthesiologist, neuroscientist, futurist, and entrepreneur. Divya specializes in the convergence of brain health, technology, AI, and bioethics. She is Founder/CEO of Lucidify, a neurotechnology company that uses brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and edge-based ML algorithms to detect brain failure, in order to preserve life, mental health, and cognitive longevity. Prior to this, her research at Stanford University pioneered the automated tracking of brain state transitions and led to new theories of consciousness, presented on prominent stages like TED-NYC and the UN. Her work includes the consideration of human augmentation and its effect on consciousness and human evolution, and the potential to recognize consciousness in non-human entities. She has also been modeling the effect of AI and embodied AI in the consciousness space, defining its risk landscape and strategies to mitigate risk.
Divya is the former Neuroscience Chair of the Singularity Group, and tracks neuro and medical technology's exponential growth and its implications for governance, startups, and the global economy. She is also part of the Health and Space Brain Trusts at XPRIZE, and is a fierce advocate for data and biometric rights. She has leveraged her roles as a Stimson Loomis Innovation Fellow and former Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council to help governments and companies with policy. Her strongest advocacy has been to protect neurorights, and she has advised and collaborated with organizations like the UN, XRSI, and the Australian Human Rights Commission to ensure these rights are considered as human rights, while developing frameworks for digital identity and biometric data protection.
Divya's experience also spans space life sciences. A finalist for astronaut selection and an alumnus of the International Space University, she has performed remote simulations of trauma rescues, anesthesia and surgery in Mars analogue settings. She is currently designing BCIs to diagnose and treat astronaut brain health, as well as medical systems to support human exploration of space.