The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) announced that Tiffany Graham, MSPO, CPO/L, and Brian Kaluf, BSE, CP, are the winners of 2018 Thranhardt Awards. They will present their research at the AOPA National Assembly in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Thursday, September 27.
Graham, who received her bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Trinity University and her master’s degree in O&P from the Georgia Institute of Technology, will present her research, “Significant Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Cranial Remolding Orthoses in Infants with Deformational Plagiocephaly.” She has focused her career in pediatric orthotics and has ten years of experience with using cranial remolding orthoses to treat both deformational and postsurgical head shapes. She is an instructor in the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Master of Prosthetics-Orthotics program and vice-chair of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists’ Craniofacial Society.
Kaluf will present his research, “Comparative Effectiveness of Microprocessor and Energy Storing Prosthetic Ankles: Full Study Results.” He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at Purdue University, and conducted research at the Computer Simulation of Human Motion laboratory at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, earning a position at the Fraunhofer Institute to design a high-activity bionic prosthetic foot. He is the clinical outcomes and research director for Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics, Exton, Pennsylvania, and chair of the Outcomes Research Committee of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists.
“The Thranhardt Lectures are always a highlight of the National Assembly. We are especially proud that this year’s winners represent various disciplines involved in the care of our orthotic and prosthetic patients,” said Michael Oros, CPO, AOPA’s immediate past president and co-chair of the 2018 Clinical Workgroup.
