Dr. Curtis Cripe is a brain development expert who lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona. He received his education at California State Polytechnic University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and a Master's degree in engineering, and at NorthCentral University, where he earned a PhD and a Master's degree in health psychology and behavioral medicine. After graduating from Cal State Polytechnic, Curtis Cripe began a successful aerospace engineering career. The highlight came when, as a systems engineer, he was a member of the team that achieved the first Mars landing from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The Viking 1 landed on the Red Planet in 1976, and greatly contributed to the understanding of Mars climatic conditions. Curtis Cripe was later involved in managing software development for Defense Department projects. Dr. Curtis Cripe later shifted gears and entered the field of behavioral medicine. He established the Crossroads Institute, directed a professional network that extended over twelve locations in multiple states. The Crossroads Institute treated children with learning disabilities, autism, and other developmental issues, and also treated adults suffering from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and head injuries. The institute's philosophy emphasized the mind-body connection and that it operates under biological and mechanical laws, and designed its treatments accordingly. Curtis Cripe has written extensively in his areas of expertise. His articles have appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and he has contributed material to several books. In 2006 he wrote an article called "Effective Use of LENS Unit as an Adjunct to Cognitive Neuro- Developmental Training," which appeared in the Journal of Neurotherapy. The author examined three distinct case studies in which training in the use of the Low Energy Neurofeedback System, or LENS, in conjunction with neuro-developmental exercises, decreased clinical treatment time for patients with conditions such as autistic spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental disorder.