Professor Stefania Fatone, PhD, BPO(Hons), received a 2026 Early Stage Product Development Award for research on a prosthetic socket fit testing system from the University of Washington (UW) Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS). She earned the award for her project “Evaluation of a prototype socket fit testing system to assess coupling of the prosthetic socket in individuals with lower limb amputation.” 
Fatone is a professor and associate chair in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, program director of the UW O&P program, and director of the O&P Assessment Lab. She has nearly 30 years of experience conducting O&P research.
The ITHS pilot grant builds on work recently funded by the Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research, which allows further development of a socket fit testing system by assessing its feasibility for use with transfemoral prosthesis users.
