Penumbra has announced the appointment of Donald Frei (Denver, USA) as its associate chief medical officer of Neuro. As a leading neurointerventional surgeon and past president of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS), Frei brings clinical and research expertise in stroke and neurovascular care to Penumbra’s clinical leadership team, according to a press release from the company.
Reporting to James Benenati—Penumbra’s chief medical officer—Frei will help guide the company’s neurovascular clinical strategy, support evidence development, and collaborate with physicians worldwide to advance patient care.
“Dr Frei has dedicated his career to advancing neurovascular care, from pioneering faster stroke recanalisation protocols to helping establish the clinical evidence behind therapies that improve patient outcomes,” said Benenati. “His deep clinical expertise, commitment to innovation and passion for patient care will be invaluable as we continue to expand the impact of our neurovascular technologies around the world.”
Throughout his career, Frei has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, and contributed to the advancement of neurovascular therapies through extensive clinical research and evidence generation. He was the co-principal investigator of the THUNDER study, which demonstrated that Penumbra’s computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT) platform with Thunderbolt technology is safe and effective, paving the way for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and CE-mark approval of the system. Frei was also instrumental in launching the Get Ahead of Stroke campaign to improve stroke triage and expand access to lifesaving neuroendovascular care.
Frei earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (Cincinnati, USA) and completed his residency training in diagnostic radiology at Tulane University Medical Center (New Orleans, USA). He subsequently completed fellowship training in neuroradiology and endovascular surgical neuroradiology at Washington University’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (St Louis, USA). He has been recognised as a fellow of the SNIS (FSNIS) and a fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR).
“With the recent launch of CAVT with Thunderbolt, the neurovascular space is prime for transformation,” Frei commented. “I look forward to this opportunity to help advance innovation, generate evidence, deepen trust and closer collaboration with our medical and professional societies, and improve access to care so more patients are able to benefit from the latest technology.”
