Chairs
Professor Jackie Hunter CBE, BenevolentAI
Professor Jackie Hunter CBE, BenevolentAI
BenevolentAI is a British held AI company which is using AI to augment the research capabilities of drug scientists, radically changing the way R&D is done. Uniquely, BenevolentAI has an end to end capability from early discovery to clinical development. Jackie joined the company with over thirty years of experience in the bioscience research sector, working across academia and industry including leading neurology and gastrointestinal drug discovery and early clinical development for GlaxoSmithKline. She has also been a champion of new business models such as open innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.
Jackie moved to BenevolentAI because she recognized the need for disruption in the industry and the need to apply novel advanced technologies to R&D to improve efficiency and increase the successful discovery of new medicines for patients. She was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for Services to the Pharmaceutical Industry and was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 20 Women Advancing AI Research. She is a member of the Biomedical Board for A*Star in Singapore and the Science Advisory Board for the Data Science Institute at Imperial College. She is also a visiting Professor at Imperial College and at St George's Hospital Medical School.
RoboTrainer: Making effective rehab training available to everyone
Dr Anders Sørensen, University of Southern Denmark
Abstract
A large amount of trauma victims suffer neurological damage to motor function, that severely inhibit rehabilitative training. Overcome by gravity, they are locked in a viscous circle, risking atrophy, circulatory disease and other physical complications, while depression may further undermine their quality of life. Underwater training, exoskeletons and advanced training machines may break the circle, but their high operational cost is in stark contrast to the high amounts of training needed to make a difference. In the RoboTrainer projects, we explore the design and impact of training robots optimized for simplicity and low cost. Our initial studies show that such devices can easily be operated by physical therapists in simple clinics, and potentially also by patients and their helpers at home. Case tests on the long term robot training made feasible by RoboTrainer show promising results in terms of strength and functional improvement in chronic (abandoned) patients with neurological damage.
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Dr Anders Sørensen, University of Southern Denmark
Dr Anders Sørensen, University of Southern Denmark
Dr Anders Stengaard Sørensen is an electronics and robotics engineer, employed as Associate professor with University of Southern Denmark's department for Health Technology. As head of the Training Technology Lab, he is working closely with health professionals, training experts and humanistic researchers, to create real-world technology for better training. Using robotic devices and components to create bodily interaction with users play a major role in the development of new training methods, but are also employed in improving existing ones. Dr Sørensen and his lab are thus collaborating with Danish patient, elite sports and aerospace organizations to improve and renew training in general. From patients to athletes and even astronauts.
The future of human wearable bionics from industry's point of view
Dr Andreas Goppelt, Ottobock
Abstract
In its 100 years history, Ottobock has been a leader in human mobility: The introduction of C-leg®, the world's first microprocessor controlled knee (MPK), in 1997 has set a new standard for safety of people with transfemoral knee disarticulation and hip disarticulation amputations. Advances in the fields of bionic reconstructive surgery and the use of artificial intelligence in controls allow patients to intuitively move their artificial limbs, and to lead a more active and independent lifestyle.
Clinical evidence provided by us and others has demonstrated that patients with lower mobility grades benefit most from MPKs as evidenced by gains of the health utility score EQ5D.
The translation of these advances in prosthetics into orthotics led to the first knee-ankle foot orthosis (KAFO) with stance and swing phase control: The C-Brace® helps patients suffering from neurological indications such as incomplete spinal cord injury, poliomyelitis and post-polio syndrome to regain a natural gait.
Exoskeletons like the personal assistive device Paexo® help prevent work related disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
As the field of wearable human bionics is rapidly evolving, new opportunities emerge to overcome previously unsolved challenges. This includes the optimization of human comfort, and man-machine interfaces for improved control and somatosensory perception to foster embodiment - make users feel that the device becomes part of them.
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Dr Andreas Goppelt, Ottobock
Dr Andreas Goppelt, Ottobock
As Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Dr Andreas Goppelt has been in charge of Research and Development at Ottobock since September 2017. Goppelt was previously managing director of Otto Bock Mobility Solutions GmbH, the company’s wheelchair business. He joined the Ottobock Group in 2015 as managing director of nstim NeuroBionics GmbH.
Goppelt was a consultant for biopharmaceuticals and medical technology between 2013 and 2015. From 2005 to 2013, he served as head of R&D for the BioSurgery and Regenerative Medicine business unit at Baxter. Goppelt began his career in business in 1997 as co-founder and chief scientific officer of biotech company Switch Biotech AG, which specialises in curing wound healing disorders and skin diseases.
A native of Erlangen, he studied chemistry at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich and earned his doctorate in biochemistry. After earning his doctorate, Goppelt worked as a postdoc at the LMU’s gene centre and the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany.
Driving neural recovery following Spinal Cord Injury
Professor Jane Burridge, University of Southampton
Abstract
Recent research both with animals and people with SCI has shown the potential for neural recovery. Some studies have used implanted systems, but we have recently designed and tested an inexpensive non-implanted novel cycling ergometer with a small number of patients. The ‘iCycle’ uses Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). Electrical stimulation activates the leg muscles during each revolution of the pedals. The position of the crankshaft enables the stimulation to be timed accurately. The amount of effort the person exerts is monitored and used as feedback in a virtual cycle race. We propose that greater neuroplasticity will be achieved by synchronising stimulation with voluntary drive and that the motivation provided by the race will encourage the cyclist to work harder.
In this talk I will explain the neuroscience that underpins the concept, describe the device, how we developed it and report on the effect it had on a small number of people who trained on it for four weeks.
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Professor Jane Burridge, University of Southampton
Professor Jane Burridge, University of Southampton
Professor Jane Burridge leads the Neurorehabilitation Research Group at the University of Southampton. Her research aims to understand the mechanisms of sensory-motor recovery following neurological damage. She and her Group use this better understanding to design and evaluate rehabilitation technologies that will improve recovery following central nervous system lesions such as stroke and spinal cord injury. Neurological rehabilitation is changing. Already most rehabilitation takes place in people's own homes and over the next few years technologies to support them will become commonplace.
Making direct neural interface therapies a clinical reality
Dr Oliver Armitage, BIOS
Abstract
Direct neural interfaces for limb control have been used in a variety of research and pilot studies for multiple decades now and clinical practice makes regular use of neuromodulation for pain or other conditions. However, continuous bi-directional connections to the nervous system for treating physical health have so far remained clinically elusive. This is in large part due to the technology required for real-time decoding and encoding being unpractical to put in implantable medical devices. Yet this technology is essential for realising the promise shown by direct neural recording and stimulation for prosthetic control, SCI, neurotrauma or a host of other therapies. BIOS is pioneering AI technologies for long-term direct neural interfaces for lifelong health by continuous decoding and encoding of neural information on small-scale devices for bringing to clinical practice the promise shown over decades of research.
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Dr Oliver Armitage, BIOS
Dr Oliver Armitage, BIOS
Oliver Armitage is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at BIOS, a leading neural engineering startup. Oliver has always had a vision that the human body could be repaired or made better through augmentative technology and how that can be used to improve people’s lives. He studied for his PhD at the University of Cambridge in Bioengineering, working in the world-renowned Nanoscience Centre. He specializes in tissue interfaces and engineering to allow technology to be fused with the body. Oliver was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018.
Amputee Biomechanics: it is not just about getting active
Professor Anthony Bull, Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London
Abstract
The ability of young, fit, healthy traumatic amputees to achieve very high levels of performance through their own determination, excellent rehabilitation and advanced prosthetics is one of the features of modern life. Expectations have risen that all should be able to achieve these levels of activity and maintain them through to old age, and yet this seems to be out of reach for so many. Biomechanics is the study of the interaction between forces, motion and deformation and is the underlying science that can shed light on the reasons why such high levels of performance are unsustainable for most, unattainable for many, and detrimental for others. Understanding amputee biomechanics can aid in devising novel rehabilitation, surgery and prosthetics.
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Professor Anthony Bull, Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London
Professor Anthony Bull, Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London
Professor Bull leads and is PI on the Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies that exists to improve the mitigation of injury, improve and advance treatment, rehabilitation and recovery thus increasing lifelong health and quality of life after blast injury (www.imperial.ac.uk/blastinjurystudies). This has a strong biomechanics focus on lower limb and spinal injuries and he has extensive research activity in the area of ligament injuries due to sporting activities.
As Director of the Musculoskeletal Medical Engineering Centre funded by the Wellcome Trust and EPSRC (www.imperial.ac.uk/msk) Professor Bull leads his own research group in musculoskeletal dynamics, and also provides underlying research technology support for nine other investigators funded through the Centre. He has in addition extensive research activity in orthopaedic implant and surgical design in many areas associated with lower limb and upper limb biomechanics and ageing.