Category: Trainee Achievement

UROP Awards for Spring 2025

Huge congratulations to Ava Lloyd, Luke Jones, and Lily Nygard for their UROP Proposals being accepted and funded for the Spring 2025 semester! The Utah Undergraduate Research Program (UROP) funds students for up to two semesters of research. Each of these students submitted a project proposal under the direction of graduate and faculty mentors.

Ava is working in collaboration with an OT in the NRH to develop a walking aid for patients to use with parallel bars during gait rehabilitation.

Luke is working with MDs in the Emergency Medicine department to develop a sensorized glove to detect and prevent frostbite.

Lily is working to investigate the effects of electrical stimulation on upper-limb spasticity after a stroke!

 

Michael Adkins Selected to Advise the NIH NICHD Professional Development Planning Group

Congrats to Michael Adkins for being selected as one of three advisors for the NIH NICHD professional develop planning group. Michael will be advising NIH program staff on professional development programs, info sessions, and workshops for trainees in biomedical research. Through this unique experience he will network directly with NIH program officers, gain exposure to NIH processes, opportunities, and careers, and enhance the way NIH supports trainees. Congrats Michael!

New publication in the Journal of Neural Engineering

A paper led by Caleb Thomson was recently published in the Journal of Neural Engineering. The paper is titled: “Enhancing neuroprosthesis calibration: the advantage of integrating prior training over exclusive use of new data” and was coauthored by Troy N Tully, Eric S Stone, Christian B Morrell, Erik J Scheme, David J Warren, Douglas T Hutchinson, Gregory A Clark and Jacob A George.

LinkedIn Post

Link to Paper

Clay Stanley awarded the NIH fellowship

University of Utah Electrical engineering Ph.D. student Clay Stanley received a $144,000 two-year fellowship from the National Institute of Health for individuals with a disability. These funds will support Stanley as he continues his research on non-invasive transcutaneous functional electrical stimulation.

Stanley learned about the NeuroRobotics lab from the family member of a previous inpatient of the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), where the NeuroRobotics lab is located.  The lab is run by assistant professor Jacob George, who mentors dozens of students on projects for neurorobotic technology. The majority of these projects focus on the advancement of rehabilitation technology for amputees, stroke, and spinal cord injury survivors.

After a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in 2011, Stanley credits improvements in his recovery to extensive physical and occupational therapy research programs established by the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN). In 2015, he participated in an NRN program that used an FES algorithm with positive results on SCI patient rehabilitation outcomes.

One of the senior Ph.D. students in the lab, Marshall Trout, has worked on the development of new FES technology as one of his research aims. Stanley has continued the work of one of these projects that deals with the use of a multi-electrode stimulator to activate the paretic hand of individuals with neurological impairments of the upper extremity.

Modern FES systems can activate paretic muscles, however there is difficulty in activating the muscles in a way that can help patients make functional movements. The two years of funds from the NIH can support Stanley as he pursues his research aim of improving FES therapy for rehabilitation. His goal is to improve FES devices to better assist patients in rehabilitation with more effective hardware, software, and algorithm designs.

Utah Neurorobotics Lab members win proposal grant at the RAC Grand Challenge

The Utah Neurorobotics Lab won a $100,000 grant from the Remote and Austere Conditions Grand Challenge, presented by the University of Utah’s Office of the Vice President for Research. The RAC Grand Challenge was created “as a pioneering initiative to stimulate and support innovative research focused on developing new techniques, technologies, and methods for remote and austere environments”, intending to “drive advancements and societal impact that address the unique challenges of these environments.”

Our proposal was titled “FrostByte: A Wearable Temperature Monitoring System for Frostbite Prevention and Research.” The project leverages a prototype wearable glove developed by our lab to monitor and prevent frostbite. The current device consists of a simple glove liner with a few thermocouples wired to a heating element to activate in case of extreme temperatures, but this simple device could have a big impact on clinical care. 1 in 10 people who live in cold climates get frostbite at some point in their life, and that number gets as high as 1 in 3 for those who recreate in the cold. 30% of frostbite cases result in amputation.

Under principal investigators Jacob George, PhD, and Scott McIntosh, MD, a team of MDs and PhDs were assisted by lab members Connor Olsen and Sophie Nelson. Congratulations team!

You can find more information on the RAC Grand Challenge here.

Abby Citterman receives O&P Foundation Chester Haddan Scholarship

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!