# BrainSpec

> BrainSpec is a Boston neuroimaging software company that converts magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from standard MRI scanners into quantified, visual reports on brain metabolites. Its FDA-cleared BrainSpec Core platform supports researchers and clinicians who need chemical information that structural imaging alone cannot provide, while its newer AutoVOI collaboration targets one of the field's most stubborn workflow problems: placing the scan volume consistently.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Boston, United States
- **Founders:** Alexandra (Alex) Zimmerman (CEO and Co-Founder), Alexander P. Lin, PhD (Scientific Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 14 employees in the supplied company record; LinkedIn publicly lists the company-size band as 2-10.
- **Products:** BrainSpec Core, BrainSpec research platform, AutoVOI
- **Notable:** Formed through the Brigham and Women's Hospital iHub in 2015., Selected for the Techstars Boston 2017 cohort., Received FDA Breakthrough Device designation in 2022 for estimating IDH status in glioma patients for whom biopsy is inadvisable.

## Products & services

- **BrainSpec Core** — FDA-cleared, browser-based software that processes single-voxel proton MRS data, displays spectra, quantifies NAA, choline, creatine, myo-inositol, Glx, lactate and 2-hydroxyglutarate, and can compare metabolite ratios with adult reference intervals.
- **BrainSpec research platform** — Cloud software for uploading, processing, viewing, sharing and managing MRS studies across supported MRI vendors, with automated reports and data visualization.
- **AutoVOI** — A patented University of Minnesota CMRR pipeline that automates volume-of-interest placement for MR spectroscopy to improve acquisition consistency; BrainSpec announced an exclusive license and commercialization collaboration in 2025.

## Achievements

- Formed through the Brigham and Women's Hospital iHub in 2015.
- Selected for the Techstars Boston 2017 cohort.
- Received FDA Breakthrough Device designation in 2022 for estimating IDH status in glioma patients for whom biopsy is inadvisable.
- Received FDA 510(k) clearance for BrainSpec Core on November 14, 2023.
- The cleared Core software supports specified 3.0T protocols from GE, Siemens and Philips scanners.
- Announced a 2025 University of Minnesota collaboration to commercialize AutoVOI.

## Latest updates

- **2023-11** — FDA granted 510(k) clearance to BrainSpec Core, a Class II medical image management and processing system.
- **2024-06** — A peer-reviewed chronic traumatic brain injury study reported using FDA-cleared BrainSpec software to quantify neurometabolites against reference ranges.
- **2025-09** — BrainSpec and the University of Minnesota CMRR announced an exclusive-license collaboration to commercialize AutoVOI.
- **2025-11** — BrainSpec presented collaborative Mass General / Martinos Center work using MRS to examine neurometabolic changes in adrenoleukodystrophy before and after treatment.
- **2026-05** — BrainSpec highlighted an educational presentation on how MRS and other advanced imaging can add evidence in traumatic brain injury cases.

## Links

- Website: https://brainspecmed.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainspec
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brain_spec

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/brainspec
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-18