Onyeka Idiaghe
Neurotechnologist, creative, and cognitive science student at UCLA.
I study how brains work, build brain-computer interfaces, and write about the ethics of the technologies reshaping what it means to be human. Previously accessibility consultant at Neuralink and product advisor at Cognixion. Currently studying cognitive science, writing a novel, and making video essays about the science of being human.
About
// background, context, the origin story
When I was fourteen, I shaved my head to test a brain-computer interface — and discovered the EEG headset wasn't designed for my hair texture. That moment redirected my entire life. It showed me that the most transformative technologies in neuroscience are being built with fundamental blind spots in who they serve, and that the people most excluded from neural interfaces are rarely consulted in their design.
Since then, I've worked at the intersection of neurotechnology, accessibility, and human-centered design. I consulted with Neuralink on accessibility for their N1 implant, advised Cognixion for three years on their AR-enabled brain-computer interface for differently-abled users, and managed an NSF-funded research initiative through Neurovivd building hands-on BCI curriculum for neurodivergent students. I'm a Masason Foundation Fellow, UCLA DataX Hackathon winner, and DECA International Finalist.
I study Cognitive Science with a Computing Specialization at UCLA, where I research perception, inclusive neural datasets, and the ethics of cognitive enhancement. I'm also a writer — working on a fantasy novel about divine power, human desire, and the cost of choosing love over justice, because I believe fiction asks the questions research papers are afraid to.
| Education | BS Cognitive Science, Computing Specialization · UCLA '29 |
| Recognition | Masason Foundation Fellow · DataX Hackathon Winner · DECA International Finalist |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Interests | Brain-computer interfaces · Perception & aphantasia · Technology ethics · Creative writing · Sleep & dreams · Philosophy of mind · Inclusive design |
| Technical | Python · JavaScript · SQL · MATLAB · TensorFlow · PyTorch · Figma · Arduino |
Work & Experience
// the things i've built, advised, and shipped
Product Accessibility Consultant
Neuralink · Fremont, CA
Joined as accessibility SME following public advocacy on neural interface accessibility gaps. Led user research with assistive technology users to identify N1 implant and Link charging case accessibility issues. Drove hardware team adoption of tactile feedback and voice-guided setup.
Cognixion · Santa Barbara, CA
Shaped product strategy for Axon-R, a noninvasive AR-enabled BCI communication device, through quarterly UX feedback impacting feature prioritization for differently-abled and minority user segments. Advised on EEG signal processing and AI classification.
Project Manager
Neurovivd · NSF Funded
Managed end-to-end development of hands-on BCI curriculum for 120+ neurodivergent students. Designed 12+ project-based modules and shipped Python scripts and Arduino-based BCI prototypes demonstrating real-time EEG signal processing.
Projects
// things i've built, researched, and questioned
Neurotechnology
BCI Sleep Optimization Tool
EEG sensors + ML to enhance REM sleep quality. Exploring how brain-computer interfaces could reshape something as fundamental as rest.
Policy & Ethics
AI Mental Health Policy Proposal
Federal policy framework for clinical oversight of AI therapy chatbots addressing safety gaps for 500M+ weekly users.
Research
Inclusive EEG Datasets via GANs
Using generative adversarial networks to create representative neural data — fixing the bias that starts at the electrode.
Fiction · In Progress
A Novel
A fantasy epic about a girl, a goddess, and the cost of choosing love over justice. 16 chapters. Coming eventually.
Writing
// published essays, articles, and explorations
No Simulation, No Hunger Games, No Big Brother — Human Augmentation Is the Real Incoming Dystopia
How I'm going to navigate a society where technology calls our definition of humanity into question.
Human Perception Is Very, Very Flawed. And Technology Can and Will Exploit That.
Perception is flawed — profoundly, irreversibly flawed. And the technologies being built today know exactly how to take advantage of it.
How These Funny-Looking Headsets Could Lead to The Death of Human Privacy
A deep dive into the basics, potential, and ethics of brain imaging and neuromodulation devices.
View all writing →What I Think About
// at 2am, mostly
The Accessibility Gap in Neurotechnology
Brain-computer interfaces are being built for a narrow demographic. Who gets to interface with the future of the human mind, and what are the consequences?
Perception and the Constructed Self
How much of identity is built from sensory experience we never question? As someone with aphantasia, I think about this differently than most.
The Ethics of Cognitive Enhancement
When neurotechnology can optimize memory, attention, and emotion, what does it mean to be authentically human?
Why Fiction Tells the Truth
Dystopian novels, sci-fi, and fantasy have always been laboratories for ethical questions we're afraid to ask directly.
AI and the Illusion of Empathy
Millions form emotional bonds with AI chatbots daily. What does that reveal about loneliness and what we're actually searching for?
The Neuroscience of Feeling Too Much
Emotional intensity isn't a flaw — it's a cognitive style with neurological roots. What happens when we study it instead of pathologizing it?
Get in Touch
// let's think together
Open to conversations about neurotechnology, ethics, creative work, research collaboration, and questions that don't have easy answers.
[email protected]