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New Coordinator for IBBME Clinical Engineering Program

Growth fostered by departing Coordinator Tom Chau to be continued by Alex Mihailidis

July 5, 2011

Tom Chau		Alex Mihailidis

      

On June 30, Tom Chau (EngSci 9T2, MASc. ECE 9T4) completed his five-year term as IBBME’s Graduate Coordinator of the Clinical Engineering (CE) Program. Since his appointment in 2006, Chau has grown the program from fewer than ten MHSc students to a core complement of nearly forty trainees. Significantly, Chau led the successful effort for a new Concentration in Clinical Engineering for the Biomedical Engineering PhD program. IBBME core faculty Alex Mihailidis (MIE 9T6, MASc BME 9T8) begins his term as CE coordinator on July 1.

Mihailidis, a former IBBME graduate student and a leader in rehabilitation engineering, acknowledged Chau’s significant contribution to the development of the world-leading program in an interview, stating that “while the program comes from very strong roots, Dr Chau has been responsible for increasing the international reputation of the program and increasing its attraction to the high calibre students we admit.”
 
The Clinical Engineering Master of Health Science (MHSc) is a two-year, full time program consisting of  academic courses, internships and a research thesis. The program combines interdisciplinary research and practical hands-on training to prepare engineers to innovate new solutions to clinical challenges, improve patient safety, and optimize the delivery, integration and management of technology-mediated healthcare. As of September 2011, IBBME’s well-established PhD in Biomedical Engineering will offer the option of a concentration in Clinical Engineering. Students in the concentration will conduct research in a clinical environment and be co-supervised by engineering and health sciences faculty. 
Mihailidis noted that it is the people involved who are the CE program’s greatest strength. “At conferences and elsewhere, I always hear about the high caliber of our students and the work they complete,” he said. “Another strength of the program is the supervisors and faculty members who are involved. This includes both the research supervisors and those who teach within the program. These faculty are all world-renowned experts in their respective fields; our students benefit greatly from interactions with them, and from being exposed to unique projects and learning experiences.”

Growing this new PhD program will be Mihailidis’ priority as Coordinator. “We need to ensure that we attract top students. This will require the allocation of more resources, and the participation of more faculty and partners. In particular, we would like to continue to attract internationally recognized industrial partners who can provide even more exciting internship opportunities, and new areas of research that our students can engage in.”

Paul Santerre , IBBME Director, noted that leadership of the program was transferred from one rehabilitation engineering expert to another. “We are extremely pleased to have Alex take on the helm of this unique and flagship program,” stated Santerre. “He is as equally committed to the translation of engineering practice to clinical care as Tom Chau has been and he brings a passion and degree of innovation with him that will be inspiring to the students of this program. I am know that he will bring the vitality and growth to the program that Tom has generated for the past five years.”

Chau will continue passion for graduate training  in particular through his leadership of the NSERC CREATE CARE (Collaborative Academic Rehabilitation Engineering) program, and as core faculty at IBBME. Along with his numerous cross-appointments at the University of Toronto (Departments of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Nursing, and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience), Chau is currently a Scientist and Theme Leader at Holland Bloorview Research Institute and an Adjunct Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Alex Mihailidis brings a wealth of knowledge of rehabilitation engineering to the position. He is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehab Institute. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and at IBBME, with a cross appointment in the Department of Computer Science. His research focuses on pervasive computing and intelligent systems in health and he has published over one hundred journal papers, conference papers, and abstracts in this field. His research foci are the development of intelligent home systems for elder care and wellness, technology for children with autism, and adaptive tools for nurses and clinical applications. Dr. Mihailidis holds several major research grants (including both the Canadian and American Alzheimer Associations, NSERC, and CIHR) and is a CIHR New Investigator. He is currently President-Elect for RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America).