Ben Woodington | Living on Borrowed Time @ Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026

Why It Matters

Real‑time neuro‑BCI data could transform oncology from episodic imaging to continuous, feedback‑driven care, dramatically improving survival and reducing treatment waste.

Key Takeaways

• Timing of immunotherapy dramatically extends lung cancer survival
• Circadian-aligned DBS eliminates nighttime Parkinson’s side effects for patients
• Neurotechnology provides real‑time tumor monitoring via electrical signals
• Soma‑1 BCI enables brain tumor mapping and therapeutic stimulation
• Precision oncology will shift to continuous, feedback‑driven treatment

Summary

Ben Woodington used a seven‑minute talk to argue that the missing piece in modern medicine is temporal granularity. He highlighted how delivering immunotherapy before 11:30 a.m. nearly doubled lung‑cancer patients’ life expectancy and how circadian‑aligned deep‑brain stimulation eradicates nighttime side effects for Parkinson’s sufferers. These examples illustrate that minutes, not months, can determine therapeutic outcomes.

Woodington explained that current bio‑AI models rely on sparse data points—MRI every three to six months, periodic blood draws—making it impossible to interpolate disease dynamics accurately. He positioned neurotechnology, especially therapeutic brain‑computer interfaces (BCIs), as the “missing data layer” that can capture continuous electrical activity with millisecond latency. The Soma‑1 device, a tiny implantable BCI, records tumor‑related neural signals and can deliver targeted stimulation, turning the brain into a real‑time diagnostic and treatment platform.

Concrete evidence came from mouse studies where electrode arrays recorded electrical spikes from glioblastoma tumors while the animals moved. The electrical signatures distinguished tumor‑bearing mice from healthy controls and even predicted tumor volume with high accuracy, matching bioluminescence imaging. Woodington announced a first‑in‑human safety and mapping trial of Soma‑1 slated for March 2026, and hinted at parallel work on peripheral cancers.

If successful, this approach will redefine precision medicine: instead of matching a drug to a static genetic target, clinicians will deliver the right therapy at the right moment, guided by continuous feedback loops. The technology promises tighter monitoring of treatment response, earlier detection of recurrence, and potentially lower overall costs, positioning oncology as a primary arena for large‑scale adoption of real‑time neuro‑bioinformatics.

Original Description

This talk is part of Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026, a three-day gathering of researchers and builders in Old San Juan.

The program featured 30+ presentations, along with keynotes, lightning talks, office hours, and discussions focused on “AI for X” — exploring how AI is advancing fields like neurotech, biotech, energy, and beyond.

https://foresight.org/events/vision-weekend-puerto-rico-2026/

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