Pushing and pulling a wheelchair – that’s how Senior Mitchell Duboc manuevers the UConn campus at Storrs.
Cancer damaged his spinal cord when he was 10-years-old.
Mitchell explained, “I’m a T-6 complete parapalegic so I don’t have any motion below or around my upper stomach.”…
Click here to read more of this article.
STORRS – On the UConn campus some engineering students are working to help those who are physically challenged.
Every year, UConn engineering students are charged with a senior project. Seniors Mitchell DuBuc, James Welch, and Alex Draper are testing out technology called RO-Wheels. The new-styled wheelchair wheels, made by a medical device company, allow the wheelchair user to propel their chair in a pulling motion rather than pushing motion.
Click here to read more of this article.
A team of four Biomedical Engineering students from UConn are breaking new ground in the fight against Spastic Cerebral Palsy. They’re all women, which is unusual, but that’s not what makes them ground-breaking – rather, it’s how they’re trying to fight the disease that sets them apart. They’re building a new approach from the ground-up…
Click here to read the rest of this article
In the United States, there are nearly 800,000 children and adults that exhibit one or more symptoms of Cerebral Palsy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,000 new-born babies will develop Cerebral Palsy every year. One of the major symptoms for Cerebral Palsy patients is loss of motor function, taking away the ability to walk with ease, and creating difficulty in feeding. There have been several advancements in devices that aid individuals with Cerebral Palsy, but not enough devices that rehabilitate the patient. Four biomedical engineering students are looking to tackle that issue with their innovative Senior Design project….
Click here to read more of this article.
Professor Syam Nukavarapu will be assuming the role of the Biomedical Engineering department head, effective August 23, 2024. He is currently serving as an Interim Head of Biomedical Engineering. He is a Professor in Biomedical Engineering and holds joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UConn, and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UConn Health.
Professor Nukavarapu brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the BME Department Head position. Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to the field of biomaterials science and engineering. His research interests span biomaterials, bioprinting, and tissue engineering with an emphasis of tissue-tissue interface engineering. He made seminal contributions to the development of engineered grafts and understanding biomaterial/graft interactions with cells and tissues. Professor Nukavarapu’s research has been funded by federal, state as well as private foundations. His contributions, including over ninety peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, numerous proceedings, and invited presentations, as well as three patents, have been invaluable to the advancement of the field.
Professor Nukavarapu currently serves on the editorial boards of major journals, including Biomaterials, Bioactive Materials, and Tissue Engineering. His active involvement in national/international professional societies, such as BMES, SFB, and MRS, reflects his dedication to scholarly pursuits and national leadership. He has received numerous research and education awards, including the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, Castleman Professorship in Engineering Innovation, AAUP Teaching Excellence Award, and member-elect of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.
