Tag: UPitt

ARLINGTON, Va. – RESNA Fellow Dr. Rory Cooper is one of 16 innovation pioneers who will be honored as part of the 50th class of National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) inductees, the organization has announced. The 2023 class was announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in New York. Cooper is the founder and director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Pittsburgh. A biomedical engineer,...

PITTSBURGH – A new study showing the functional mobility, employment and safety benefits of seat elevation devices is a good example of how large data sets can be used to, hopefully, guide policy and practice, says Mark Schmeler.  The study, published online in Assistive Technology, the official journal of RESNA, in October, pulled findings from the Functional Mobility Assessment tool, which now has more than 13,000 data points.   “This is the first example our industry...

PITTSBURGH – Clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers have a unique opportunity to shape a potential new policy for wheelchair service and funding, says the University of Pittsburgh’s Mark Schmeler.  In November, the university, in collaboration with other investigators, launched a survey to identify the benefits and shortcomings of existing policy in the United States and around the world.  “We want to be able to show, when we design our new policy, that we didn’t...

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with other investigators, has launched a survey on wheelchair service and funding and seeks participation from various stakeholders, including clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers.  The goal of the survey: To identify the benefits and shortcomings of various types of existing wheelchair policies, both in the United States and around the world.  “Participation includes responding to a series of questions related...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh, among others, has received a $2.5 million grant over five years to investigate a new health coverage policy for complex rehab wheelchairs. The University of Pittsburgh Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), UPMC Health Plan, The Ohio State University, University of Michigan and key disability, industry, and policy stakeholders, will be working together on the project. “We...

PITTSBURGH - More than anything, the University of Pittsburgh's new Master of Rehabilitation Technology program will help to raise awareness among young professionals that specializing in assistive technology is a valid profession, says Mark Schmeler. So far, the department has received MRT applications from 10 students, mostly with engineering or pre-health science degrees, with a goal of up to 20 for the first year of the program. “There's a lot of potential workforce talent out there that...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh is surveying prospective attendees of the 37th International Seating Symposium about their likelihood of attending the event, depending on the pandemic situation. The four-question survey asks attendees: What is your primary purpose for attending ISS; if by Jan. 15, the pandemic situation has not improved or changed, would you plan on attending the event in-person, attend remotely or not attend at all; if the situation has improved (i.e. a reliable vaccine...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh's Human Engineering Research Laboratories has received $1 million in grant funding to research the effects of accessible autonomous vehicles and other mobility services. HERL, in consortium with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the Catholic University of America, is one of four recipients of the new Tier 1 University Transportation Center grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. “These investments in four new transportation...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology will launch a new 35-credit Master of Rehabilitation Technology (MRT) degree in the fall semester of 2020. The goal: focus more on practical applications and the skills necessary for students to seek employment as an ATP in a growing job market. “Given an aging population who want to age in place and people surviving and living longer with disabilities, the demand for ATPs will only continue to grow...

Rory Cooper of the University of Pittsburgh, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Spinal Cord Research Advisory Committee. As a member of the committee, Cooper will have an integral role in making recommendations to the Department of Health regarding research priorities, evaluation and accountability procedures, and related issues. “I am certain with your commitment, expertise...