Recognized Neuroscience Leaders 2025

Former Lawyer, Australian Loren Hogue is the Co-CEO of NEUROFIT. She is an official Master Coach with over 3000 hours experience and has worked with thousands of clients globally. Following an acute family tragedy, she spent 12 years identifying the best ways to heal her trauma, stress, burnout, and nervous system dysregulation, investing most of her 20’s to test different approaches. She walked away from her coaching business in 2021 and joined forces with Andrew Hogue (her husband) to start NEUROFIT after honing in on a growing gap in the post-COVID wellness market related to prolonged stress, burnout, and nervous system regulation.

As Co-CEO of NEUROFIT and a three-time tech founder, I combine a background in computer science from Caltech with a decade of experience building wellness technology that's reached millions globally. My journey from experiencing Complex PTSD to creating innovative solutions for stress and burnout has shaped NEUROFIT's data-driven approach to nervous system regulation, now used by 2,000+ health professionals and 60,000+ users across 100+ countries worldwide. Prior to NEUROFIT, my expertise in product development and engineering led me through technical roles at Snapchat and Headspace, and as a product consultant for Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. My venture-backed products have earned international recognition with features in Forbes, Well+Good, Men's Health, MedicalNewsToday, SHAPE, and more. At NEUROFIT, we've pioneered a unique approach to stress management and burnout prevention, that combines cutting-edge technology with body-based interventions, helping active users achieve an average 54% reduction in stress levels within their first week.

Erena DiGonis, LCSW-R is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Health Coach, and Certified Clinical Anxiety and Trauma Treatment Professional. She is also certified in Brainspotting and trained in EMDR. Erena has twenty-one years of practical and professional experience as an active clinician, teacher, and supervisor. She has worked in a variety of community, psychiatric, in-home, and private practice settings with hundreds of complex cases. Erena is a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant and has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, Women's Health, and MEL magazine. She has reviewed book proposals for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is an Advisory Board Member for the CPTSD Foundation. Erena serves as the Founder and Continuing Education Director of EngagedMinds, a national Continuing Education business providing training for Counselors, Social Workers, and Therapists.

I'm a dedicated psychotherapist and founder of Uncover Mental Health Counseling. With a deep understanding of cultural dynamics and a commitment to helping diverse communities, I'm passionate about guiding individuals toward healthier, more fulfilling relationships. With a background in Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, and LGBT Health, I specialize in working through generational and racial trauma, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and relationship challenges. I also provide support for relationship conflicts, family dynamics, teen counseling, parenting, grief and loss, and addiction, offering a compassionate space for growth and healing.

Dr. James Utley is a pioneering scientist at the forefront of cellular therapy, AI, and data science. A Johns Hopkins-educated Immunohematology expert and Certified Advanced Biotherapies Professional (CABP), he also holds advanced certifications in data science and machine learning. While serving as Technical Director at a major healthcare organization, Dr. Utley oversaw more than 150,000 successful cellular transfusions and spearheaded advancements that significantly improved patient outcomes. This experience included leading initiatives for the Department of Defense, where he revolutionized cellular transfusion practices. His innovative approach is further exemplified by his FDA-approved work and numerous publications in leading scientific journals. Dr. Utley is also known for his bold, hands-on approach to research, embodying the spirit of a "biohacker" by pushing the boundaries of CRISPR and genetic engineering through self-experimentation. This unique blend of rigorous scientific training and unconventional methods has earned him the moniker "the pirate" within the biohacker community.

I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist, Duke MBA graduate, and founder of shrinkMD, a national virtual mental health platform dedicated to providing accessible, high quality psychiatric care to adults. With over a decade of clinical experience, I’ve treated individuals from all walks of life ranging from high performing executives and elite athletes to students and underserved populations. My approach blends deep clinical insight with the strategic thinking of a healthcare entrepreneur, giving me a unique lens into the future of mental health care. My background in sports psychiatry includes consulting roles with professional organizations like the NFL and Jacksonville Jaguars, where I’ve supported athletes in navigating performance pressure, identity challenges, and psychological recovery from injury. These experiences have sharpened my focus on mental resilience, optimization, and the intricate connection between mind and body. I'm widely recognized for my work in urgent care psychiatry, helping patients find rapid, effective relief from acute mental health challenges without the long wait times that plague traditional systems. At shrinkMD, I lead a care model rooted in the biopsychosocial and spiritual framework, ensuring that every individual is treated as more than a diagnosis honoring their unique history, strengths, and personal bandwidth. Beyond clinical care, I’m deeply committed to addressing the systemic barriers that keep people from accessing mental health services whether that’s a lack of providers, financial constraints, stigma, or outdated delivery models. My work sits at the intersection of mental health innovation, digital health, and patient centered care, and I’m passionate about changing the narrative around what psychiatric support can look like in today’s world. I am a trusted voice on a range of topics, including telepsychiatry, burnout, workplace mental health, healthcare equity, emotional wellness, performance psychology, and the future of virtual care. I provide clear, concise, and thought provoking commentary that connects clinical science with real life relevance whether it's for national media, healthcare publications, or expert panels. If you're seeking an authoritative, articulate, and forward thinking mental health expert, I’m available to provide expert insight, commentary, and collaborative thought leadership.

Dr. Benjamin T. Benumof, Ph.D., Esq., affectionately known as “Ben” by his friends, colleagues, and family, is a truly remarkable individual whose multi-faceted brilliance extends across various disciplines. As the Founder of GEO-LAW.COM and the President and CEO of GEO-LAW, P.C., Ben is a highly distinguished attorney and geologist specializing in Land Use, Coastal, Water Law, Real Estate, Proposition 218, and Construction law matters. His expertise, which lies at the very fascinating, multi-dimensional, and multi-disciplinary intersection of Law, Earth Sciences, and Business, has earned him a reputation as one of the leading “go-to” legal minds in Southern California. However, Ben’s influence doesn’t stop there. He is also a very dynamic and powerful Keynote Speaker, a Mentor to many, a Mind-Body Connection and Wellness Life Coach, and a talented Musician and Songwriter, whose talents and passions inspire everyone around him. But what sets Ben apart from others is his unwavering dedication to personal transformation, both for himself and for the countless individuals whose lives he is touching. Through his transformative work as an Author, Speaker, and a Mind-Body Connection and Wellness Life Coach, Ben is empowering others to take charge of their own lives, to overcome limitations, and to unlock their fullest potential. Ben does this through many lenses, most notably, his new inspirational book, IF NOT, THEN WHY? And there is also his powerful Keynote Speeches, his transformative Coaching Sessions (group, corporate, and personal), and his inspiring and engaging Workshops, which draw on his extensive knowledge and easy-to-understand approach to the modern, 21st Century, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Biomechanics, and Quantum Physics, that explains how “we all think,” “how we all act,” and “how we all feel,” as conscious Beings, conscious Humans. www.IFNOTTHENWHY.com

Chief Medical Officer at Plena Mind Center, where we are deeply committed to compassionate, evidence-based mental health care.

I’m Amanda Levison, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a passion for helping clients achieve healing and personal growth. With over 25 years of experience working with children and a background in teaching, I bring a compassionate and individualized approach to therapy. I specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), play therapy, and neurofeedback intervention to support clients in reaching their full potential. My goal is to create a strength-based, holistic environment where both children and adults can build resilience and improve their mental well-being. I’m licensed in PA and FL, offering both in-office and virtual sessions.