#354: Advancing Precision Brain Health for Veterans with Bret Petkus, USMA ‘91 & Russell Toll, USMA ‘05

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Bret Petkus and Russell Toll are Army veterans and co-founders of Compassion Neurohealth, a neuroscience-driven brain health practice focused on changing how mental health is measured and treated. As an accomplished healthcare executive, Bret brings significant P&L leadership across medical and life science companies, while Russ, a Stanford-trained neuroscientist and combat veteran, leads the scientific development behind their technology.

Their paths into this work were shaped by distinct but deeply personal experiences. Bret’s own traumatic brain injury exposed gaps in how neurological damage is identified and addressed, while Russ witnessed the long-term impact of blast exposure during his service in Iraq. Their shared commitment to improving brain health led to a partnership grounded in both mission and medicine.

In this episode of the SABM podcast, Scott chats with Bret & Russell about:

• Battlefield to Brain Science: Russell’s experience with blast exposure and Army medicine, and how it shaped his commitment to advancing neurological care.
  
  

• The Injury You Can’t See: Bret’s unexpected discovery of his own TBI decades later and the mission it sparked.
  
  

• Precision Starts with Data: How EEG data and the Halo platform map dysregulated brain networks before prescribing precision TMS.
  
  

• Engineering Long-Term Recovery: Tracking outcomes through ongoing assessments and follow-up scans to maintain remission and intervene early.
  
  

• Mission Beyond Medicine: Their nonprofit initiative supports Gold Star families and expands access to care for those who cannot afford treatment. 

 

Timestamps:

00:38 Brett’s Background and TBI Discovery

02:01 Russ’s Combat Experience and Shift into Brain Health

04:26 Connecting on LinkedIn and Building the Clinic Partnership

05:59 Personalized TMS and the Halo Mapping Platform

08:03 Suicide Loss and the Cockpit Metaphor

13:26 How Halo Identifies the Right Brain Networks

17:51 Patient Stories and the “Veterans Aren’t Broken” Perspective

19:35 Durability, Follow-Ups, and Long-Term Monitoring

32:56 Scaling Clinics, SaaS Expansion, and Heroes in Mind

Connect with Bret & Russell:

• LinkedIn | Bret Petkus 

• LinkedIn | Russell Toll

• Compassion Neuroscience 

• [e-mail] 

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A special thank you to Bret and Russell for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01