Event Description
Vivian K. Mushahwar, PhD, associate professor in the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Alberta and leader of the Alberta Innovates–Health Solutions Interdisciplinary Team in Smart Neural Prostheses, will discuss her work with restoring standing and stepping after spinal cord injury through the use of intraspinal microstimulation.
Biosketch:
An electrical engineer by training, Dr. Mushahwar obtained her PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Utah. Research in the Mushahwar lab focuses on many aspects such as the restoration of standing and walking after spinal cord injury and the detection and prevention of deep tissue pressure sores using functional electrical stimulation (FES) techniques. The Mushahwar lab is working with other groups of the Project SMART team to develop implantable devices that utilize intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) to stimulate the "control centre" for standing and stepping in the spinal cord and thereby restore this ability after spinal cord injury. In addition, in collaboration with researchers in the Stein, Chan, and Dukelow research groups, Dr. Mushahwar's lab is developing a garment to detect and prevent the onset of pressure sores in wheelchair and bed ridden patients.
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