Supporting people with brain injuries through tech

The project to develop the Neumind app, which provides a support system for people with neurological injuries or conditions, was borne out of a very personal story.

Ellis Parry was studying engineering when his twin brother Luke suffered a brain injury. He knew that he wanted to use his engineering skills to address the problems Luke started to face in recovery.

The Neumind app

Ellis built a low-cost, accessible app with the help of clinical experts and a small team. It’s tailored to meet the unique needs of brain injury survivors.

He wanted the app to replicate in some way the community of brain injured survivors who were supporting each other, talking together, sharing their stories. When they go home, the app can help to give them some support.

Engineering can help to improve lives. Ellis says that the app is helping people with brain injuries live more independent and fulfilling lives and it is supporting people and their families get long-term access to neurorehabilitation and support

What inspired you to help people with neurological injuries or conditions?

Life changed completely when my identical twin brother, Luke, had a fall ten years ago. We were both studying engineering at university, but never in a hundred years could we have imagined how life events would lead us to what we do now.

I could see from the beginning how little support was available to Luke, how difficult the recovery journey was going to be, and how it would only get harder when he left hospital. I started wondering if there was any way I could use my engineering skills to address the problems I was seeing first-hand.

I could see that private healthcare or working with a neuropsychologist is hugely beneficial to survivors, but for many people, it’s either unaffordable or not available at all. I felt I had to do something about it and that I could use my engineering mindset to help.