Graduate student Connor Olsen recently presented at the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. His presentation discussed a MATLAB tool Connor developed for a new introductory robotics course here at the University of Utah, co-authored by Dr. Jacob George, Dr. Daniel Drew, and Dr. Amy Verkler.
The Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research with the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC) offer a scholarship to support individuals pursuing a clinical Master’s degree in orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). Research fellow Abby Citterman has been awarded the Chester Haddan Scholarship for 2024, which includes a $2,500 cash award.
“Abigail is a recent graduate of Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center, an incoming NCOPE resident with Gillette Children’s, and a research fellow with the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, developing and validating novel rehabilitative technologies for individuals with neuromuscular disabilities. She has a specialized interest in the convergence of neural engineering, O&P, and design. Abby is especially passionate about helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation in academia and the most optimal, personalized patient care. She also loves exploring the outdoors, creating art, and making music. Abby is deeply honored to be recognized as the recipient of the Chester Haddan Scholarship and is inspired by his legacy of innovation, leadership, and service.”
Congratulations Abby!
A recent article by Luisa Torres, PhD, in Drug Discovery News featured Dr. Jacob George in a discussion about the use of spinal cord stimulators in patients with lower-limb amputations. A recent Nature Biomedical Engineering study used spinal cord stimulation to restore the sense of touch, improve balance, and reduce phantom limb pain in patients with amputation below the knee. Dr. George discussed the benefits and use of such technology as an industry expert in response to this study. The full article can be read here.
Dr. Jacob George will be serving as a member of the healthcare panel discussion at the One-Utah Responsible AI Initiative (RAI) Industry Partnership Summit on June 10th. The RAI group hopes to catalyze transdisciplinary excellence in responsible AI at the University of Utah, with the summit featuring multiple discussions on workforce, infrastructure, healthcare, and policy. You can learn more about the One-U Responsible AI Initiative here. Congrats Dr. George!
Graduate student Michael Adkins and a team of researchers recently completed the NSF I-Corps program. He and his team received $50,000 for the Electronic Grip Gauge (EGG). Read more about his accomplishments here.
Congratulations Michael!
Dr. Jacob George attended the 3rd Annual Limb Preservation Foundation’s Limb Symposium on April 19th in Golden, Colorado, where he presented the keynote speech titled “Future Forces: What’s Next in Bionic Legs and Arms”. The University of Utah’s PM&R Department also supported the Hope Beyond Limits Symposium by sponsoring a scholarship breakfast, which created networking opportunities for scholars and enabled 20 limb survivors and caregivers to participate in the event.
Another great annual lab ski day! This year we went to Solitude with some uncertain conditions in the forecast. We always plan our annual ski day in the Spring, around late April, when there's a good chance for a warm sunny spring skiing day. This year, the forecast called for cold rain! We went up anyway, and fortunately the forecast was wrong! It was light snow most of the morning, blue skies in the afternoon, and then it started snowing again after lunch. It turned out to be surprisingly good snow for such a late season storm. We had some pizza, beer, and shots (?!) at The Thirsty Squirrel bar in Solitude Village. A great time as always!
Undergraduate student Lyndsey Schultz was awarded second place overall for her poster at the University of Utah’s BME Senior Symposium on April 19, 2024. Her poster is titled “Design of Lower-Limb Muscle Activity Monitoring Sock Using Surface Electrodes.” Congratulations Lyndsey!
Congratulations to Nathan Wallace, who took home the grand prize at the Bench To Beside competition!
Congrats also to Michael Adkins, Monika Buczak, and Nate Toth for winning the “Best in Engineering” Award. They won $5,000 for their work on the Electronic Grip Gauge. Michael and Monika were student ambassadors for the University of Utah ECE and BME departments, respectively.
The Utah Neurorobotics Lab welcomes Caden Hamrick, who will be joining us this Fall as a PhD student in ECE. Although he will be a new PhD student, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. Caden worked with our lab as an undergraduate research fellow during the Summer of 2022, and was recently awarded the NSF GRFP. For his PhD research, Caden will be working on EMG decoding for human-computer interaction.
Welcome Caden!