Lionheart Health, Inc. announced that Dr. Joseph C. Maroon has joined its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board, bringing decades of neurosurgery expertise to the company's bioelectric regenerative medicine initiatives. Dr. Maroon, a board-certified neurosurgeon and Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, will advise on brain health clinical study design, neurocognitive endpoint validation, and applications for concussion and neuroinflammation management. His appointment strengthens the company's focus on developing evidence-based bioelectric stimulation therapies designed to improve cognition, memory, and mood while supporting neuroplasticity.
The company's technologies align with Dr. Maroon's focus on neuroprotection and performance longevity, particularly through platforms like BodStim™ and Brain Band™. Lionheart Health is currently advancing multiple clinical initiatives focused on improving functional biomarkers of aging, including grip strength, gait speed, cognition, and inflammatory markers. Dr. Maroon's role will include translating regenerative signaling science into clinical protocols, with the neurosurgeon commenting that "optimizing brain health is central to extending meaningful healthspan." The company's intellectual property portfolio includes patents targeting key regenerative and neuroprotective signaling pathways such as Klotho, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), and GDF10, which play critical roles in neuroplasticity and inflammation modulation.
Brain health represents one of three core pillars in which Lionheart Health is competing in the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan Competition. The company's Brain Band™ recently received a UCI Capstone Grant to advance device optimization, and Lionheart Health has been recognized as 2025 Micro Stimulator Developer of the Year by Medtech Outlook Magazine. The company has completed pre-clinical studies at AccuLab Life Sciences in San Diego and a pilot clinical study in Brazil, and is preparing to enroll participants in a combination BodStim™ and Brain Band™ clinical trial for brain health.
Dr. Maroon brings more than four decades of experience in academic neurosurgery, having performed thousands of complex brain and spine procedures while advancing minimally invasive techniques. He has served as Team Neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers for decades and is a prolific scientific author with over 300 peer-reviewed publications. His research has contributed to understanding neuroinflammation, omega-3 fatty acids in brain protection, and integrative strategies for preserving cognitive function. Lionheart Health operates licensed longevity and wellness clinics and collaborates with academic institutions to generate peer-reviewed data supporting its therapies designed to activate regenerative signaling pathways to improve muscle strength, cognitive function, metabolic health, and immune resilience.
