University of Michigan
Mira Mutnik, Jake Kanetis, and Marty Kilbane
Amazing conversation with not 1, not 2, but 3 PhD students at the University of Michigan this week!
A true, authentic conversation about the innovation and design of future prosthesis and the growth and research of creating a surgical procedures to aid in using these newly designed prosthesis all with the purpose of replicating the natural human movement.
We packed so much conversation into this episode with so much more we could have talked about.
Once again, we discussed what we could, but some details must be left out due to the highly competitive field these young adults are working in.
What I love about these three students is that even though they are all in a different sector, so to speak, of research: Mira-above limb amputees, Jake-below limb amputees, and Marty-prosthetics, they are all working towards the same goal; creating the best way to unify the surgical procedure and prosthesis to give the amputee the best, most natural movement possible.
Jake all hooked up to monitor human movement to collect data for his research
Marty working with a study participant on their design of a prosthesis they are working on in the lab.
Mira collecting data on her upper limb project and how to get the best hand movement and dexterity of a prosthesis.
We had a great discussion of what it could look like for the future of amputees and the length of time these studies take. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, safety regulations, data collecting, and trials. The FDA must approve procedures and products that they hope to take to market some day, but these students have become three of the many students going through the program at University of Michigan, working tirelessly to bring this technology closer to us being able to access it.
I find it so unique to see the shift from making the newest, coolest, most advanced products for us to wear, as amputees, to surgical procedures to make our bodies work in harmony with a prosthesis. The one thing we did dive deep into was the procedure of getting candidates who fit the bill to doing the trial procedures, and finding willing participants as well. This can be so tricky as we struggle with the idea of going back in and revision the original amputation in hopes that the outcome will be the same if not better, but the concern that it could be worse.
I hope you will join us today, listen to the entire podcast and see what dedication these students have for helping our amputee community, what motivates them to continue into this higher level of study, and what their plans are for their future after graduation.
Thank you Jake, Mira, and Marty for sharing your passion. Your dedication to helping our community find a better way to live is inspiring and deserves our gratitude!
Continue doing what you're doing, and know we all thank you for the time, ideas, and ingenuity to take amputees to the next level!
Please make sure you all Like, Share, and Subscribe so you don't miss an episode as we continue with our 5th Student interview next week as we visit MIT again from a different angle.
Wishing you all the best, and a blessed week ahead.
And as always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!
Much love,