NURERC Directors Attend JRRD Meeting

August 26, 2008 -- Steven A. Gard, Ph.D., Director, Prosthetics Research Laboratory and Rehabilitation, Engineering Research Program; Director, VA Chicago Motion Analysis Research Laboratory; Research Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Assistant Professor; Affiliated Faculty, Biomedical Engineering Department; and Dudley S. Childress, Ph.D., Director Emeritus of the Northwestern University Prosthetics Research Laboratory, attended the annual meeting of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development (JRRD) on July 17, 2008 in Baltimore, MD.

Members of the JRRD Editorial Board met recently in Baltimore. From left to right are: Steven A. Gard, Ph.D., Robert J. Jaeger, Ph.D., Scientific Program Manager at VA, Dudley, S. Childress, Ph.D., Paul R. Meyer, Jr., M.D., and Elliot J. Roth, M.D. (Photograph courtesy of Robert J. Jaeger)

JRRD is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal published by Veterans Affairs that is designed to inform clinicians and consumers about rehabilitation research and development. Research articles feature innovations, clinical application, and technology transfer that can help improve the lives of veterans and others living with a disability.
 
NURERC directors Dr. Gard and Dr. Childress have served on the Editorial Board of JRRD, respectively, from 2002 through the present, and from 1978 through the present. By serving on the editorial boards, NURERC directors contribute to excellence in prosthetics and orthotics research and development.

NURERC Represented at RESNA

August 25, 2008 -- Steven Gard, Ph.D., Stefania Fatone, Ph.D., and Kathy Waldera, M.S., attended the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) annual meeting on June 26-30, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
 
On June 27, RESNA hosted a "NIDRR RERC Capitol Hill Expo" that was supported by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the Office of Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY), and assisted by RESNA’s Disability Policy staff. Held in the Russell Senate Office Building, the RERC booths showcased their cutting edge research and development projects. As in past years, the Northwestern University Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (NURERC) in Prosthetics and Orthotics is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). NURERC was one of more than a dozen RERC booths that offered Senators and their staff the opportunity to learn how RERCs improve the lives of individuals living with disabilities.
 
Immediately following the RESNA meeting, Dr. Gard and Dr. Fatone attended the NIDRR RERC Project Directors' Meeting that was held from July 1-2, 2008, also in Washington, D.C. This two-day event allowed RERC directors to share their research and broaden their knowledge regarding NIDRR.

NUPRL & RERP participates in Academy's Midwest Chapter Summer Meeting

August 5, 2008 -- Andrew Hansen, PhD, and graduate students, Brian Ruhe, MS, and Brett Johnson, MS, were invited to speak at the Midwest Chapter Meeting of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists held at Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL on June 27-28, 2008.  Dr. Hansen's presentation was titled "Conceptual Design of an Ankle-Foot Prosthesis that Automatically Adapts to Ramped Walking Surfaces on the First Step."  Brian Ruhe presented some of his PhD thesis work on "Investigations of Standing Balance Efficiency on Level and Sloped Surfaces in Persons with Transfemoral Amputation" and Brett Johnson presented his Masters thesis research on "Gait Analysis of Reciprocating Gait Orthosis (RGO) Users."

Fatone presents at VA Workshop

April 1, 2008 -- Stefania Fatone, PhD, was an invited participant in the multi-disciplinary workshop “Current Clinical Concepts in Orthotic & Prosthetic Rehabilitation”, sponsored by the Veterans Health Administration Orthotics and Prosthetics Education Committee held on February 6-8, 2008 in San Pedro, CA.  Dr. Fatone gave two presentations:  “Functional Evaluation of Ankle Foot Orthoses in Adults with Post-Stroke Hemiplegia” and “Review of Principles and Clinical Implications of Roll-over Shape”.  The latter presentation was given on behalf of Dr. Andrew Hansen. 

NUPRL & RERP participates in Annual Academy Meeting

April 1, 2008 -- Drs Steven Gard, Andrew Hansen and Stefania Fatone, along with research engineer Katherine Waldera, MS, attended and participated in the Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists held in Orlando, FL from February 27 to March 1, 2008.  Overall seven presentations were made by NUPRL & RERP including free papers and invited presentations.

Fatone presents at CMH Visiting Professor Symposium

November 21, 2007 -- Stefania Fatone, Ph.D. was invited to present at the 16th Annual Visiting Professor Symposium held by the Motion Analysis Center, Children's Memorial Hospital (CMH), in Chicago, IL, on November 9, 2007.  Dr Fatone gave a presentation co-authored by Andrew Hansen, Ph.D., titled "Effect of an Ankle Foot Orthosis on Roll-over Shape in Adults with Hemiplegia following Stroke." 

Fatone presents at AAOP Midwest Chapter Fall Meeting

November 5, 2007 -- Stefania Fatone, PhD, was invited to speak at the Midwest Chapter Meeting of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists held in Hickory Hills, IL on Saturday, November 3, 2007.  Dr. Fatone's presentation was titled "Effect of AFO Alignment and Foot Plate Length on Gait of Adults with Hemiplegia."

Fatone participates in AOPA panel discussion

October 4, 2007 -- As a member of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Initiative Steering Committee, Stefania Fatone, PhD, participated in a panel discussion at the AOPA National Assembly, held in Las Vegas, September 17-20, 2007.  Dr Fatone presented an overview on what outcomes research is and how it relates to evidence based practice.

Faculty, staff and students from NUPRL&RERP participate in ISPO World Congress

August 17, 2007 -- Members of NUPRL&RERP participated in the 12th World Congress of the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) held in Vancouver, Canada from July 29 to August 3, 2007.  Representing NUPRL&RERP were Steven Gard, PhD, Dudley Childress, PhD, Andrew Hansen, PhD, Stefania Fatone, PhD, Craig Heckathorne, MS, Ed Grahn, BSME, Kerice Tucker, and graduate students Pinata Sessoms, MS, and Sara Koehler, MS.  Overall, ten presentations were made by NUPRL&RERP, including oral and poster presentations as well as invited presentations as part of instructional courses and symposia.  Gard and Hansen further participated in chairing sessions.  NUPRL&RERP also had a booth in the exhibit hall that provided conference attendees an opportunity to learn more about the lab's research program. 

Joshua Rolock and Stefania Fatone attend DoD Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop

July 3, 2007 -- The Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program and the Navy Manufacturing Technology Program sponsored an Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) Development and Manufacturing Workshop in Silver Spring, Maryland from June 25-27, 2007.  Joshua Rolock, PhD, and Stefania Fatone, PhD, were among nearly 60 invited participants who attended.  Participants included government representatives, prosthetists, engineers and materials scientists from both academia and industry.  The workshop focused on three key areas: Product Life-Cycle Management, Advanced Materials Applications, and Electronics and Processing. The aim of the workshop was to explore the challenges of O&P development and manufacturing, and to develop a technology roadmap and strategic investment plan.

Steven Gard and John Michael Speak at Midwest Chapter Meeting

June 7, 2007 -- Dr Steven Gard, PhD, was invited to speak at the Midwest Chapter Meeting of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists held in Lisle, IL on Friday, June 1, 2007.  Dr Gard presented an overview of the research activities at NUPRL & RERP.  Dr Gard's presentation was followed by a short presentation from John Michael, MEd, CPO/L, FAAOP, FISPO,  regarding the contribution prosthetists and orthotists can make to research by assisting NUPRL & RERP with recruitment of research subjects.

Gard, Stine and Johnson attend GCMAS Annual Meeting

May 4, 2007 -- Steven Gard, Ph.D., Rebecca Stine, M.S., and graduate student Brett Johnson, attended the 12th Annual Meeting of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society in Springfield, MA from April 11-14, 2007.  Mr. Johnson presented a poster co-authored by Drs. Gard and Fatone based on his Master's thesis research titled "Preliminary Results for a Dynamic Analysis of RGO Users."

Fatone, Hansen and Zissimopoulos attend Academy Annual Meeting

April 9, 2007 -- Stefania Fatone, Ph.D., Andrew Hansen, Ph.D., and graduate student Angelika Zissimopoulos, M.S., attended the 33rd American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium in San Francisco, CA from March 21 to March 24, 2007.  Dr. Hansen contributed an invited presentation to the Certificate Program on Prosthetic Foot Ankle Mechanisms titled "Mechanical Analysis of Feet and How Feet are Studied 'In the Lab'". Dr. Fatone contributed an invited presentation to the Instructional Course on Findings from the Recent Academy State of the Science Conference on Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthoses for Ambulation as well as a free paper and poster presentation.  Ms. Zissimopoulos gave a free paper presentation on "The Biomechanical and Energetic Effects of a Stance Control Knee Joint". Dr. Fatone was also awarded Honorary Membership to the Academy.

Fatone participates in AAOP State of the Science Conference

March 15, 2007 -- Stefania Fatone, Ph.D., was an invited participant at the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists State of the Science Conference on "Biomechanics of Partial Foot Amputation," held in Chicago, IL, March 3-4, 2007.  Along with Dr. Michael Dillon and Ms. Margaret Hodge from La Trobe University, Australia, Dr. Fatone co-authored the systematic literature that formed the basis for this meeting.

Gard and Fatone participate in AOPA Steering Committee

February 14, 2007 -- Drs Steven Gard, PhD, and Stefania Fatone, PhD, were invited to participate in the American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association Steering Committee for the Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Initiative.  The Steering Committee met for the first time on February 1-2, 2007, in Las Vegas, NV.  The purpose of the meeting was to develop a mission for this initiative that hopes to facilitate prosthetics and orthotics outcomes research.  Other committee members include Walter Racette (chair), John Rush, Scott Cummings, Gary Berke, Caterina Lowenadler, Kimberly Walsh, Kathy Dodson, James Campbell and Mark DeHarde.

Gard and Fatone attend Academy Meeting on Assessment of Literature Quality

February 14, 2007 -- Drs Steven Gard, PhD, and Stefania Fatone, PhD, attended an American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) meeting on the "Assessment of Literature Quality for Academy-Sponsored State-of-the-Science Conferences" held on January 19-20, 2007, in Seattle, WA.  The purpose of the meeting was to develop guidelines for the process of literature review and the creation of Evidence Reports for Academy-sponsored State-of-the-Science Conferences. Dr Gard presented on the evaluation of the quality of manuscripts, while Dr Fatone reviewed a method of evaluating the quality of evidence developed by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.  Other attendees included Brian Hafner (chair), Mark Geil, Edward Neumann, Sharon Hubbard, John Michael, David Boone, Jean Dietz and Kathy Roach.

Faculty attends Keck Futures Initiative on Smart Prosthetics

January 11, 2007 -- Steven Gard and Andrew Hansen attended The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative on Smart Prosthetics – Exploring Assistive Devices for the Body and Mind, which was held in Irvine, California on November 9-11, 2006. Dr. Gard displayed a poster at the meeting entitled "An Investigation of Shock-Absorbing Components in Persons with Transfemoral Amputations." Dr. Hansen displayed a poster entitled "Prosthetic Ankle Joint with Automatic Adaptation to Surface Inclination."