Integrated Engineering and Rehabilitation Training

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this interdisciplinary training program is to train PhDs in the basic engineering and science aspects of assistive technology and in the clinical application of this technology in rehabilitation. Interdisciplinary training is required for engineers to successfully design devices and techniques that meet real clinical needs. PhD training will cover the full range of areas that are required to successfully integrate technology into rehabilitation practice, including both didactic and one-on-one mentorship in the areas of i) basic engineering and medical sciences, ii) biomedical engineering, iii) movement and sensory synthesis, iv) implementation of neuroprostheses, and v) clinical rehabilitation. Thus, the trainees will learn principles that will allow them to extend their research capabilities beyond their focused dissertation research. The development, testing and clinical deployment of neural prostheses provides a particularly relevant vehicle for integrated training and will serve as the primary research training model. We also include training in related biomechanical and neural aspects of motor control. For neuroprostheses, perhaps no alternative short of actual regeneration of neural tissue can restore the equivalent level of function. Electrical interfaces to the nervous system may be used to excite, inhibit, or record from either motor or sensory nerves. It is conceptually possible, therefore, to obtain artificial control with electrical stimulation over virtually all structures that rely upon neural communication. This encompasses most of the critical motor and sensory pathways involved in paralysis of the central nervous system as a result of injury or disease such as spinal cord injury, stroke, and Parkinson's disease. This technology can thus restore function to individuals who have sustained such damage, and implantable systems of this type have been approved for commercial deployment. The participating faculty are experts in the fields of engineering and rehabilitation, including the design and deployment of neuroprostheses and neuromuscular modeling, assessment, analysis, and synthesis. The facilities of the training mentors at the participating institutions are accessible to the trainees, and include basic science and engineering laboratories, neuroprosthesis development laboratories, and clinical outpatient laboratories.