In 2016, Elon Musk and a team of eight scientists and engineers founded the neurotech company Neuralink. Nine years later they implanted a brain chip alongside doctors from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, revolutionizing treatment for paralyzed patients.
Neuralink’s brain-computer interface was developed for paralyzed patients who have suffered spine injuries or for those diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It allows patients to control computers, smart phones and televisions with their mind.
The Food and Drug Administration-approved PRIME clinical trial is assessing the safety and functionality of the BCI with seven patients. The UM Miller School of Medicine was declared as the second trial site in January 2025.
RJ, a paralyzed U.S. military veteran is the first and only patient to date to receive the BCI at a Miami hospital. He suffered a motorcycle accident that left him a quadriplegic, paralyzing him from the waist down.
According to the Miller School of Medicine, RJ was able to turn on his TV and play video games for the first time in two and a half years.
“They’re giving me my spark back … my drive back. They’ve given me my purpose back. Now, I’m able to turn around and build that fire for the next guys that come through,” RJ said.
Dr. Jonathan Jagid performed the surgery last April at the UHealth Tower, the flagship hospital of the UM Health System. RJ was discharged the following day.
While BCIs have existed for decades, the Neuralink trial has gained a lot of national recognition due to Musk’s high-profile involvement in the company and the device’s cutting-edge technology. The Neuralink BCI is more complex than a basic brain chip device, such as the Utah Array which was invented in 1989. Neuralink’s device has 10 times as many electrodes than the Utah Array, meaning more electrical brain activity can be recorded and translated into actions.
Dr. Jagid believes that this technology has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for many paralyzed patients. In a phone interview with The Miami Herald, Dr. Jagid said that RJ’s involvement will “move the science forward in order to help everybody else who suffers with these types of injuries.”
W. Dalton Dietrich, PhD., the scientific director of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, praised the partnership with Neuralink, noting it complements The Miami Project’s multidisciplinary approach to advance neural interface and neurorehabilitation research. With support from the Miller School of Medicine, UM is positioning itself as a leader in developing treatments for spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions.
The trial has been predominantly successful aside from a setback with its first patient, 30-year-old Arizona native Noland Arbaugh. About a month after his implant surgery the device suffered a hardware malfunction, causing 85% of its implant threads to retract and lose function. Neuralink repaired the device, but Arbaugh has not yet regained full control over the BCI.
UHealth CEO Dr. Dipen Parekh declared the RJ’s successful implant a major milestone for the institution. The entire team of doctors at The Miller School of Medicine is excited to see how this technology could transform paralyzed patients’ lives and bring the field closer to a lasting solution for paralysis.