The Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF) has announced the winners of its Small Grant, Fellowship, and Resident Travel awards for 2010.
Jason WeningPhotographs courtesy of OPERF.
“Researchers, physicians, students, and residents from around the country were among those who applied to this year’s award program,” OPERF announced in a press release. “The OPERF Board was pleased by and encouraged with the diversity and quality of this year’s submissions. The interest in this funding mechanism and the quality of responding applicants is a strong indication of the great need for O&P research and the support of research activities.”
The Small Grant Award will be presented to Jason Wening, MS, CP, and board-eligible orthotist, of Scheck & Siress Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Pedorthics, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, for his paper, “Effects of Two Different AFOs on the Gait of Acute Hemiplegic CVA Subjects.”
Daniel Abrahamson
Angelika Zissimopoulos
Two Fellowship Awards will be presented this year. The first will go to Angelika Zissimopoulos, MS, of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, for her paper, “Mediolateral Stability in Post-Stroke Hemiplegic Gait: Dynamic Influences of Ankle-Foot and Torso-Weighting.” The second will be presented to Daniel Abrahamson, CPO, of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine a the University of Washington, Seattle, for his paper, “The Effect of Elevated Vacuum Versus Suction Suspension on Daily Volume Fluctuation in the Transtibial Residual-limb.”
Richard Hunsaker
The Resident Travel Award will go to Richard Hunsaker of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics for his paper, “A Review of Current Literature Studying the Use of Functional Electrical Stimulation for Foot Drop.”
OPERF noted, “Each OPERF award program application was carefully reviewed by volunteer expert reviewers from around the world for relevance, merit, and appropriateness in a thorough review process. Applicants were scored and ranked in a competitive evaluation to select those that would receive funding. Every applicant, regardless of funding, received detailed feedback regarding their submissions, including comments and considerations that may help to improve their research and stimulate new ideas.”
