Category: Trainee Achievement

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!

Welcome to Caden Hamrick, NSF GRFP Awardee

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!

Michael Adkins completes NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurial Training Program

Congratulations to Michael Adkins for completing the NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurial Training Program!

Through this program, Michael was awarded $50,000 for customer discovery to explore the commercial viability of his Electronic Grip Gauge (EGG). Over the past month, Michael interviewed over 100 stakeholders (therapists, patients, clinic directors, etc.) to come up with a concise value proposition for a beachhead customer. In other words, he found the problems worth solving, the solutions worth paying for, and the most likely first adopters. As a result of Michael’s hard work, we formed a start-up company and are now competing for seed funding through Bench2Bedside and an NIH STTR grant.

Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research 2024

Two undergraduate research fellows from the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, Cassandra Burdick and Joshua Gubler, presented their research at the Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research (UCUR) held at Utah Valley University. UCUR is an annual conference celebrating and highlighting undergraduate research. This event demonstrates and celebrates undergraduate research and creative work from 10 colleges and universities in Utah. Students of all disciplines from around the state share the results of their investigations with other students, faculty, field specialists, and the public. Cassandra’s and Josh’s presentations were:

  • Cassandra Burdick – Analyzing Fine EMG Control of Hemiparetic Stroke Patients Using a Virtual Reality Variant of the Box and Blocks Task
  • Josh Gubler – Strategies for Downsampling Electromyographic Signals for Low-Power Wearables