HERENCIA is founded by a multidisciplinary team of ETH Zurich researchers and alumni with a shared commitment to advancing Alzheimer’s innovation and care. The team brings together expertise in neuroscience, behavioral economics, and health technology.
We innovate in equitable Alzheimer's diagnosis, treatment, and research, aiming for effective management and cure
Meet our core team
Rafa is a neuroscientist, engineer, and co-founder of Herencia. After completing his engineering studies and a PhD in neuroscience, he advanced behavioural economics research as a senior researcher in the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich. He later secured a European Research Council (ERC) grant and was appointed professor at ETH Zurich. In 2023, he received the Early Career Award from the Society for Neuroeconomics. Rafa has built a long-standing collaboration with the Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia (GNA), where he co-led research that resulted in novel, inclusive technologies for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. As Herencia’s co-founder, he works to ensure that accurate early diagnosis and effective treatments are within the reach of everyone.

Dr. Rafael Polanía
rafael.polania@herencia-global.org
Caroline is a neuroscientist, lecturer and group leader at ETH Zurich, and co-founder of Herencia. She earned her PhD and venia legendi in neuroscience while building expertise in sleep physiology, biomarker discovery, and non-invasive interventions to promote brain and body health. She has led international, technology-enabled clinical trials with medical devices and decentralized designs across diverse populations, securing major funding from organizations such as the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. An experienced author and public speaker, she has collaborated with leading institutions across Europe and the Americas and serves on several scientific boards. As Herencia’s co-founder, she works to ensure that the science of early detection translates into equitable prevention strategies capable of stopping Alzheimer’s at its origin.

Dr. Caroline Lustenberger
caroline.lustenberger@herencia-global.org