Robots to assess brain dysfunction: will sure and steady win the race? - Gairdner Foundation talk by Dr. Stephen H Scott.
Event Date:
Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 2:00pm to 4:00pm EST
Event Location:
ATAC 6022
Dr. Scott’s mathematical model and device is being used to increase understanding of the role the brain plays in arm and leg movement. His invention may ultimately improve methods for assessing and rehabilitating stroke and spinal cord victims. It could also help provide the basis for developing neural prostheses capable of restoring function to paralyzed limbs.
The Work: Spanning the specializations of systems neuroscience, cognitive/behavioural neuroscience and clinical neuroscience, Dr. Scott’s research focuses on how different regions of the brain are involved in motor control and learning. He is the inventor of a robotic device called KINARM, the world's first robotic system for measuring, with exquisite sensitivity and precision, the effects of brain injury on an individual's ability to perform ordinary movements and tasks. In addition to being used in 60 institutions worldwide for research into a wide range of brain injuries and diseases, such as stroke, concussion, transient ischemic attack, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease, KINARMs are currently being used in more than 10 clinical studies at Kingston General, Hotel Dieu, and St. Mary’s of the Lake hospitals, investigating topics as diverse as sensorimotor function in children, ALS, the impact of cardiac arrest or kidney failure on brain function, and motor performance before and after shoulder joint replacements.
- In 2013, he was named the GlaxoSmithKline-Canadian Institutes of Health Research (GSK-CIHR) Chair in Neurosciences at Queen's.
- 2012 recipient of the Barbara Turnbull Award, which recognizes outstanding research into spinal cord injury in Canada.
- 2003 recipient of The Premier's Research and Excellence Awards.
- 2002 recipient of the Mihran and Mary Basmajian Award for Excellence in Research. Dr. Scott was recognized for his research into the coordination and adaptive learning of limb movements and how regions of the brain are involved in these tasks.
Biography: Dr. Stephen Scott holds the GSK Chair in Neuroscience and is Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen’s University. He received a B.A.Sc. and an M.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and a Ph.D. in physiology from Queen’s University. His basic research explores the neural, behavioural and mechanical basis of voluntary motor control including studies on human and non-human primates. His clinical research explores the potential of robotics as a next generation technology for neurological assessment related to stroke and other neurological disorders/injuries. He is the inventor of the KINARM robot and is actively involved in the development of advanced technologies for use in basic and clinical research. He is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BKIN Technologies that commercializes the KINARM robotic platform.
