Episode 4: Mariam Khayretdinova talks EEG, AI and Psychiatry
What if the future of psychiatry depended less on subjective questionnaires and more on biological data, scalable brain models, and artificial intelligence? In this episode of The Business of Neurotech, host Adam Fraser sits down with Mariam Khayretdinova, Founder and CEO of Brainify.AI, a company building electroencephalography (EEG) foundation models for precision neuroscience. Mariam brings a mix of applied mathematics, technology, psychology, and lived experience to the discussion, drawing from her own mental health journey and her work at Brainify.AI. In their conversation, Mariam shares how she went from Russia to tech consulting and eventually into neuroscience entrepreneurship. She explains why psychiatry remains so difficult to diagnose and treat objectively, how small and inconsistent datasets limit progress, and why EEG offers a scalable starting point for building brain-based models. Adam and Mariam also explore Brainify.AI’s go-to-market strategy, its work with pharma companies, the funding realities neurotech founders face, and the future of AI-enabled psychiatry. They also delve into Mariam’s book, Decoding Despair: How AI is Reshaping Psychiatry, and her vision for a world where mental health care is more data-driven and free from stigma. Tune in to learn how EEG, AI, and foundation models could help reshape the future of psychiatry, clinical trials, and mental health care with Mariam Khayretdinova.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:22] Discover how Mariam moved from applied mathematics into neuroscience.
[03:12] How her experience at Harvard helped her with research and critical thinking.
[06:35] Explore how Mariam’s experiences with depression sparked her interest in psychiatry.
[09:43] Hear about the origin story behind Brainify.AI and its overall aim for mental health.
[14:06] Learn why Mariam chose EEG as Brainify.AI’s primary data source.
[15:56] Brainify.AI’s approach to supporting biomarker discovery and treatment prediction.
[21:37] Examine Brainify.AI’s go-to-market strategy in pharma, model access, and data.
[24:12] Whether brain foundation models could become the base layer for future applications.
[24:57] Find out how Mariam manages focus across Brainify.AI’s many possible use cases.
[27:03] Uncover the harsh realities of raising funds as a neurotech founder.
[31:32] Why Mariam wrote Decoding Despair and what she hopes to achieve with the book.
[34:24] Understand how AI could support earlier detection and personalised mental health care.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mariam Khayretdinova on LinkedIn
