2025 Speaker Series

January 16-March 6th
Thursdays 9:00-10:30AM PT (12-1:30PM ET)

January 16 | John LeMay | Clinical Use of Go/No Go ERPS
John Lemay PhD, BCIA, LMFT, QEEG-D practices with a focus on neurobehavioral challenges such as Autism, OCD, and ADHD. He is a certified Marriage and Family Therapist in Florida and has been practicing since 1995. John holds three patents in brain computer interface connecting drones to EEG as a clinical intervention. He has consulted on numerous QEEG’s and ERPs within clinical setting. John has also been a beta tester for numerous biofeedback systems and has a keen interest in various neuromodulatory interventions.
Clinical Use of Go/No Go ERPS
This talk will discuss Evoked Response Potentials as a tool for clinical assessment and intervention from a psychophysiological and brain-based perspective. Dr. LeMay will discuss how the Go/No Go test supports insights into function.
Obj 1: The attendee will be able to explain the relevance of latency and amplitude as salient evoked response potential components.
Obj 2: The attendee will be able to discern latency and explain how it relates to brain functioning.
Obj 3: The student will be able to describe how to administer and interpret the Go/No Go application.

January 23 | Angelika Y. Sadar, M.A., BCN-HRV | Precision ERP Database Innovation
Angelika Sadar, MA, is board certified in both neurofeedback and heart rate variability, and serves as a BCIA approved mentor in neurofeedback. With a private practice established in 1985 in the greater Philadelphia area, Sadar has dedicated her career to helping individuals of all ages and clinical presentations, including consulting with the US Air Force and residential treatment facilities.
As the neurofeedback coordinator for Trauma Research Foundation and a treatment coordinator at Sadar Psychological, Sadar has demonstrated her commitment to advancing the field and providing quality care to her patients. Her expertise has been recognized nationally, as she is a sought-after speaker who educates and trains other professionals in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and qEEG/ERP.
She is the recipient of the prestigious Joel F. Lubar (2018) award and the AAPB Catalyst Leader award (2024), acknowledging her outstanding work and leadership in the field. In 2018, Sadar was invited to join BrainARC Switzerland, where she began developing evaluation protocols based on the research of HBImed, Switzerland.
Currently, Sadar's clinical focus is on treating patients with complex and comorbid presentations, as well as consulting with other psychologists, medical practitioners, and clinicians regarding EEG, neurofeedback, and practice development. Her dedication to the field extends beyond her clinical work, as she serves as the executive director of the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society and has previously served as a board member at large of The Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
Precision ERP Database Innovation
Traditional psychometric assessments measure performance. By measuring the EEG, the clinician is able to assess the effeciency of the brain's function, in relationship to performance. The HBImed database is FDA cleared and offers various indexes that give insights to the person's experience, in addition to their brain's function. This talk will review the research associated with the various indexes, which include: arousal, ADHD, vigilance, central sensory and theta/beta at 3 sites. The relevance of the indexes to developing treatment plans will be reviewed with specific attention on differences between gender and socioeconomic status.
Obj 1.The participant will be able to describe two unique aspects of the HBImed database when compared with other databases.
Obj 2. The participant will be able to explain the relationship of Vigilance as it refers to the inner, unconscious readiness that enables the solving of task
Obj 3. The participant will be able to list 4 eeg markers of ADHD

January 30 | Richard Gevirtz | Heart Brain Connectivity
Dr. Richard Gevirtz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. He has been in involved in research and clinical work in applied psychophysiology and biofeedback for the last 30 years and was the president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2006-2007. He is certified in Biofeedback and holds Fellow status from the Biofeedback Certification International Association. 
His primary research interests are in understanding the physiological and psychological mediators involved in disorders such as anxiety, chronic muscle pain, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal pain. In this vein, he has studied applications of heart rate variability biofeedback for anxiety, pain, gastrointestinal, cardiac rehabilitation and other disorders.  He is the author of many journal articles and chapters on these topics. He also maintains a part time clinical practice treating patients with anxiety and stress related disorders.
Heart Brain Connectivity
This will be a 90-minute power point presentation that describes the relationship of the heart and brain, as a single organ. We will discuss the implications of measuring the relationship of the efficiency of the organs to therapeutic.
Obj 1: The attendee will be able to describe the three main metrics for heart rate variability.
Obj 2: The attendee will be able to cite three points that have been supported in peer reviewed research that support evidence for heart rate variability biofeedback efficacy
Obj 3: The attendee will be able to describe the effect of heart rate variability biofeedback on the heart to brain connections.

February 6 | Nick Kenneth K. Smythe | Eye Tracking Devices and Demo
Nicholas Kenneth K. Smythe, III brings nearly two decades of distinguished research experience in aerospace medicine, psychophysiology, and human performance optimization. With 18 years of service across premier research institutions including the United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, United States Air Force Laboratory, and Veridian Engineering, he has established himself as an authority in sustained operations, sleep-deprived fatigue, and cognitive workload assessment. In his current position, serving at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico, Mr. Smythe contributes to the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) initiative, focusing on optimizing Special Operations Forces (SOF) mission readiness through integrated human performance programs. 
Smythe’s research portfolio includes collaborations with numerous prestigious organizations including:
NASA | U.S. Coast Guard | Federal Aviation Administration | National Transportation Safety Board | Joint Special Operations Command | Joint Medical Augmentation Unit | 4th Psychological Operations Group | 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
Eye Tracking Devices and Demo
Throughout the program, participants will discover the wide-ranging applications of eye tracking across various fields. From helping designers create more intuitive websites and apps to assisting researchers in understanding decision-making processes and supporting clinical diagnoses, eye tracking offers a unique window into human perception. Our approach breaks down complex scientific concepts into simple, digestible explanations, ensuring that everyone can appreciate the remarkable ways our eyes communicate information that we might not even consciously recognize.
Obj 1: In regard to methodological understanding:, attendees will develop a comprehensive understanding of eye tracking technologies and their core principles in psychophysiological research. They will be able to explain the differences between 3 various eye tracking measurement techniques.
Obj 2: Attendees will be able to explain the versatility and interdisciplinary potential of eye tracking methodology.
Obj 3: Attendees be able to explain the psychophysiological correlates of visual attention and how to draw meaningful scientific conclusions based on eye tracking.

February 13 | Michael Pierce | Metabolic Testing To Aid In Clinical Outcomes
Michael Pierce, DC, DACNB, QEEG-DL started his health education in childhood in a family immersed in La Leche League, natural childbirth, chiropractic and whole foods without artificial colors, flavors and refined foods and sugar. He learned the hard lesson of bias in the medical industry against wellness and independence from modern industrial medicine early and studied basic sciences and the humanities heavily as an undergrad. He has a family tradition of chiropractors and healers going back several generations.
He completed his Doctor of Chiropractic from the original Palmer University in Iowa and went on to earn a board certification in Neurology from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Board of chiropractic neurology, and currently serves on the exam committee. He was medical director of a 100-bed destination wellness retreat center with a team of 30 staff and doctors. He taught neurology candidates in the preceptorship-internship program and in clinical neurology, neurological and physical examination, differential diagnosis, and clinical and molecular neurochemistry, and lectured widely and designed products for the health food industry.
He was a member of the NNFA (now NPA-Natural Products Association). He has practiced for 28 years and consulted in the US, Europe and Mexico for over 100 clinics.
Metabolic Testing To Aid In Clinical Outcomes
Metabolic testing can support many clinical interventions to elucidate physiological etiologies to physical and mental dysregulations. This talk will provide information about the different types of testing and their clinical usages.
Obj 1: The participant will be able to list 3 types of metabolic tests explain how they can be included in a clinical assessment.
Obj 2: The attendee will be able to discuss how metabolic dysregulations can play an important role in at least 2 cognitive and 2 physical disorders.
Obj 3: The attendee will be able to describe and compare the difference between the data obtain in hair and saliva metabolic tests.

February 20 | Jay Gunkelman | Sequential Neurofeedback and our Clinical History
Jay Gunkelman, QEEG Diplomate, is recognized as one of the top leaders in the field of EEG and QEEG, and has processed over 500,000 EEGs since 1972. He has served as president of The International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, as well as a board member and treasurer of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and is a past-president of the Biofeedback Society of California. Jay was the first EEG technologist to be certified in QEEG (1996) and was granted Diplomate status in 2002. He has conducted, published or participated in hundreds of research papers, articles, books and meetings internationally. He continues to lecture on EEG/Prandin at neuroscience meetings worldwide. He has co-authored the textbook on EEG artifacting (2001). Jay remains busy with current projects and publications related to his seminal paper on EEG Ambien (2005, Clinical Electroencephalography). He is co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Brain Science International and is a popular lecturer worldwide on the topic of QEEG and phenotype identification of neurological disorders.
Sequential Neurofeedback and our Clinical History
Jay and Cynthia will have a conversation about NFB protocol selection and design. For example, why create a bipolar channel opposed to a monopolar training channel. Why does SMR work if we are usually training 12-15 Hz and many people's SMR frequency band is different. Bring your questions! Why do swLORETA when 1 channel can work.
Obj 1: Explain the difference between how bipolar and monopolar montages are determined based on the data collected.
Obj 2:Explain why teaching the brain to enhance sensory motor rhythm works when the neurofeedback training is at a difference frequency than the client's individual sensory motor frequency.
Obj 3: Discuss how about traditional and newer neurofeedback protocols differ and explain how the scientific basis of each.

February 27 | Cynthia Kerson | Connectivity Findings in ADHD Cohort
Cynthia Kerson, 2(PhD), QEEGD, BCN, BCB, BCB-HRV is currently the founder and Director of Education for APEd (Applied Psychophysiology Education) and associate professor at Saybrook University, Dept. of Applied Psychophysiology. She is BCIA certified in Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, and Heart Rate Variability ,holds certification as a diplomate in QEEG, and mentors applicants for all certifications.
Her role with APEd is to develop and teach introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses in the specialized areas of brain training and EEG analysis. She teaches the EEG Biofeedback, QEEG, Advanced Neurofeedback, HRV, and Neuropsychophysiology courses at Saybrook as well as supports dissertations in applied neuromodulation and assessment. Her research interests are in neuromodulation and uses of applied psychophysiology for ADHD, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. As well as training and mentoring certificants from throughout  the US, she has ushered the first certificants from Hong Kong, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, and Indonesia, making these certifications truly global.
Dr. Kerson is an awardee and co-investigator of the NIMH grant for the 5-year ICAN study, which has looked at neurofeedback for ADHD and is currently publishing on its findings. Dr. Kerson has published many articles and chapters on biofeedback and neurofeedback and is the co-editor of Alpha-Theta Neurofeedback in the 21st Century and Joe Kamiya: Thinking Inside the Box. Cynthia is the vice president of the Board of Directors for the Behavioral Medicine Research and Teaching Foundation (BMRTF) and has served on the Board of AAPB, as executive director and vice president of FNNR (Foundation for Neurofeedback and Neuromodulation Research), twice as president of the AAPB Neurofeedback Section and is two times past president of the Biofeedback Society of California. She is an advisor for the QEEG Certification Board.
Connectivity Findings in ADHD Cohort
This presentation will focus on the EEG connectivity findings of the ICAN study's cohort of 120 ADHD children, who underwent theta-beta ratio training. Using swLORETA analyses, looking at Brodmann area and network connections, the data was compared to the NeuroGuide age-matched normative database. Additionally, pre and post analyses were done and using machine learning, we discovered EEG features that were strong predictors of improvement in the subjects.
Obj 1: Explain the difficulties associated with designing sham conditions in the ICAN study.
Obj 2: Describe 2 associations between specific Brodmann areas and the relevance to ADHD in children.
Obj 3: Describe how theta-beta ratio neurofeedback affected the connectivity metrics of the ADHD cohort

March 6 | Dirk De Ridder and Cindy Van Sleeuwen | Photobiomodulation Study at Otago University
Professor Dr. Dirk De Ridder is a Neurosurgery professor at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago in New Zealand, where he has been conducting research on neuromodulation and teaching neuroscience for the past 10 years.
He is primarily interested in understanding and treating phantom perceptions (sound, pain) using both invasive (implants) and non-invasive neuromodulation techniques (TMS, tDCS, tRNS, LORETA neurofeedback, etc.).
His research focuses on the common characteristics of conditions such as thalamocortical dysrhythmias (pain, tinnitus, Parkinson's disease, depression, slow-wave epilepsy) and dysfunctions of the reward system (addiction, OCD, personality disorders, etc.).
A third pillar of his research explores the neurobiological processes of the 'self' and the 'other' and their relationship with social interactions, philosophy, and religion.
Dirk De Ridder developed "Burst" and "Noise" stimulations as new designs for implants and continuously seeks improvements, variations, and other stimulation concepts.
Since September 2022, he has been appointed as 'adjunct faculty' in the physiotherapy department at Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India, where he leads research projects on neuromodulation for rehabilitation. Since March 2023, he has been appointed as a co-opted Professor in Neurosurgery in the "Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery" department at the University of Bonn in Germany. Together with Prof Dr. Maciaczyk, he conducts research on new brain implantation and brain stimulation techniques for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Prof Dr. De Ridder teaches applied neuroscience at the Bonn International Graduate Schools.
Since October 2022, he has been a guest professor at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, where he collaborates with Prof. Dr. Sven Vanneste to further investigate the effects of neuromodulation.
He has authored over 40 book chapters, co-edited the book "Textbook of Tinnitus," and three other books on tinnitus. He is the author or co-author of more than 300 scientific articles. He serves as a reviewer for over 100 international scientific journals.
He is a co-founder of BRAI3N.
Photobiomodulation Study at Otago University
This presentation will discuss the current photobiomodulation and infra-slow neurofeedback study as it is being conducted at Ottawa University under the guidance of Dr. DeRidder.
Obj 1: The attendee will be able to describe how the modern use of photobiomodulation and neurofeedback were utilized in a combined clinical trial.
Obj 2: The attendee will be be able to describle 3 main components of the mechanisms of PBM.
Obj 3: The attendee will be able to critique the application of photobiomodulation and infra-slow neurofeedback as an tool to enhance therapeutic outcome.