ABOUT US

​Non-invasive neurostimulation is revolutionizing the treatment of depression. At the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, we are at the forefront of these innovative developments and are offering participation in clinical trials for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Contact us to learn more and see if you are eligible to participate in one of our trials. 

The Carolina Center for Neurostimulation was founded in 2017 in the UNC Department of Psychiatry with the vision of meeting the growing needs of patients and researchers interested in neurostimulation treatment paradigms. Since its inception, the center has become a hub for patients interested in trying experimental treatments for their depression and contributing to the discovery of novel treatments across mental health diagnoses. The Carolina Center for Neurostimulation also has a number of trials aimed at answering questions regarding the function and signature of typical electrical activity in the brain. The leadership at the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation is uniquely positioned to pursue answers to these scientific questions and push the bounds of network neuroscience research and treatment.

​

Our Leadership

Flavio Frohlich, PhD - Founder & Director

The Carolina Center for Neurostimulation was founded in 2017 by Dr. Flavio Frohlich and is an entity of the UNC Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Frohlich received an International Diploma in electrical engineering from Imperial College in London, a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and a PhD in computational neurobiology from San Diego State University. After completing his postdoctoral work at Yale, where he made the breakthrough discovery that the electric fields generated by the brain represent an active neuronal communication mode, he came to the University of North Carolina. He is currently a tenured professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Physiology and holds adjunct appointments Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, as well as positions at North Carolina State University and the University of Bern in Switzerland. Under the leadership of Dr. Frohlich, the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation was brought to life as a place for researchers, patients, students and clinicians to push the boundaries of network neuroscience and explore the mysteries of neural network dynamics.

Tobias Schwippel, MD - Director of Clinical Trials

Following his service in the German Air Force, Dr. Schwippel attended medical school at the University of Tubingen in Germany. During medical school, he became a research group member in the Division of Deep Brain Stimulation at the Neurosurgery Department, Tubingen, and investigated the impact of invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive functions. After clinical rotations at Brown University and in Vienna, Austria, Dr. Schwippel graduated medical school and began his residency at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Tubingen. At Tubingen, he treated a wide range of patient populations including geriatric, addiction, psychosis and emergency patients, as well as specializing in neurovascular disorders. In addition to his clinical practice, he also worked as a clinician scientist conducting non-invasive brain stimulation studies in depression, addiction and schizophrenia. He was awarded the World Psychiatry Association Early Career Psychiatrists Fellowship in 2019 and the Innovative Young Investigator in Brain Stimulation Award in 2023. After board-certification as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Dr. Schwippel joined the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation serving as Director of Clinical Research and conducts clinical trials investigating non-invasive brain stimulation to improve mental health and investigate neurophysiological correlates of depressive symptoms and how different mental disorders influence information processing.

Zachary Feldman, MD - Senior Research Clinician

Dr. Zachary Feldman is a board-certified psychiatrist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. He is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and past-president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association. Dr. Feldman graduated from the University of Virginia in biology before attending medical school at Duke University. He then completed residency in General Psychiatry and fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UNC. Dr. Feldman practiced psychiatry in private practice and community settings for 11 years before returning to UNC to join the faculty in 2021. He aims to utilize his experience in clinical psychiatry to help direct the study of novel treatments through his work with the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation.

Community Advisory Board

At the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, we strive to impact our local community with our science. One of the most crucial components of performing impactful research is listening to and involving stakeholders in the community we intend to serve. The Carolina Center for Neurostimulation Community Advisory Board is a result of this desire for more community-informed research and to let the voices of the community be heard and reflected in scientific research.

David Scott Binanay- Board Member

David Scott Binanay is a trained classical violinist with over 30 years of experience. With much time spent studying under Brian Reagin, current Concert Master of the North Carolina Symphony, David can deftly maneuver any genre, style, or melody on the violin. He graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Humanities. While living in Philadelphia, he developed a deep appreciation and skill for music production and improvisation.
David’s musical niche has been in healthcare since 2009 with the
inception of his non-profit, Music Over Mind, (www.momoutreach.org).
MOM, partnering with UNC’s Center of Excellence since 2014, brings live integrative musical programming to the Center and its patients. MOM’s roster of musicians performs in retirement homes and clinics across the state including but not limited to Brookdale, Forest at Duke, Croasdaile and Butner Hospital. David’s health story is a miracle of medicine. Victorious through 4 open
heart surgeries, and in his fifth procedure, he received a Melody Valve from Duke Hospital. David is an advocate for mental health and music, and has been featured in a number of notable periodicals including the Huffington post and The Strad Magazine. In October of 2021, David took over the role of Coordinator/Director of DooR to DooR from Joy Javits and continues her 30 year legacy of weaving the arts into healthcare at UNC Health.

Soteria Shepperson- Board Member

Soteria is an ARTivist ( Artist & Activist) who has worked in the justice system, schools, corporate and non profit arenas. She is a public speaker and uses her platform to elevate marginalized voices and perspectives through her "I AM SOTERIA + Friends," events, offering them compensation, resources and coaching services as part of her work.  She also created the INKounter program, an arts-based mentorship and enrichment program for justice-involved and justice-impacted youth. This program evolved from the Our Len, Our Voice project created by Emily Baxter (We Are All Criminals), Katie Murray (Orange County Arts Commission) and Cait Fenhagen (Criminal Justice Resource Department). She developed INKounter at the nonprofit she co-founded, Grow Your World ( a 501c3), and serves youth through the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department and its Youth Deflection Program. When asked what was important to her about serving on the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation Community Advisory Board Soteria stated, "she joined our board because she believes in our mission and commitment to provide equitable and effective services to those who need them. She also has a desire to educate people of color and black people on the ways revolutionizing psychiatry and neurology can and has directly affected them. " Learn more about Soteria's work at iamsoteria.com and growyourworld.org