About Our Founder,
Dr. Jacob Zabara
Dr. Jacob Zabara, a Philadelphia-based neuroscientist, is widely recognized as the inventor of modern vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). His groundbreaking work on VNS therapy began in 1971 when he hypothesized that the vagus nerve not only carried information from the brain, as commonly believed at the time, but also transmitted signals to the brain.
Despite early skepticism, Dr. Zabara’s research culminated in the creation of a VNS device and the founding of Cyberonics, Inc., a medical device company, in 1987. Cyberonics was established with the mission of improving the lives of people affected by epilepsy, depression, and other chronic disorders potentially treatable with its patented VNS therapy. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VNS for the treatment of medication-resistant epilepsy.
Today, VNS therapy shows promise for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, migraines, depression, and other conditions, solidifying Dr. Zabara’s enduring impact on the field of neuromodulation.
Dr. Zabara was captivated by Descartes’ 1644 Principles of Philosophy and his concept of the separation between mind (or soul) and brain, which was widely accepted in Western civilization. In this sketch, Descartes depicted the reflex, when external stimuli are translated into an act of will at the pineal gland, what he believed to be the intersection between mind and brain. This mind-brain duality has posed significant challenges in fields such as neurocybernetics and psychobiology. Dr. Zabara’s research led him to believe that mind-brain duality was not a necessary construct and instead, the nervous system was an integrated unit with autoregulated stimuli and feedback. He spent much of his research engineering devices to restore autoregulation in the human body.
Dr. Zabara’s groundbreaking work has profoundly impacted neuromodulation, improving countless lives. Today, his legacy of innovation carries on through the Foundation.
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The Zabara Foundation is actively seeking partnerships with like-minded foundations and researchers who are working at the forefront of medical science to unlock the power of the human body. We look forward to hearing from you.
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