BIOENGINEERING 123 Benedum Hall | 3700 O’Hara Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Mark Redfern, PhD William Kepler Whiteford Professor
P: 412-624-5688 mredfern@pitt.edu
Background and Research Overview Dr. Redfern is the William Kepler Whiteford Professor with a primary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering. He also holds secondary appointments in the Otolaryngology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy. His research spans a number of topics in the biomechanics, control of human movement and ergonomics. One of his long-standing research interests has been postural control and the rehabilitation
of patients with balance disorders. He takes an engineering systems approach to modeling and understanding how various pathologies affect patients and what types of interventions can improve diagnosis and treatment. The influence of aging on balance control and the prevention of falls has been of particular interest. Dr. Redfern’s research is truly interdisciplinary, working on funded projects with researchers from Otolaryngology,
Rehabilitation Science, Engineering (Industrial, Electrical, Mechanical), the Robotics Institute at CMU, Physical Therapy, Psychiatry, and others. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and his work has been cited in over 5,000 publications. His past funding has come from a variety of sources including federal (NIH, NIOSH, NSF, VA, CDC), foundations, and industry, totaling $16.5 million.
Examples of Ongoing Research Projects Postural Control in the Elderly: Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults aged 65 and older. There are multiple factors involved, including reduced balance control, cognitive problems, poor vision, and medications. We are conducting studies to investigate how aging affects postural control resulting in instability and ultimately to falls. The most recent study investigates how reduced cognitive function impacts balance and stability. The study explores why certain aspects of cognition, such as decision processing speed, inhibitory function and visuospatial ability, have an impact on postural control and changes in these aspect of cognition can have a detrimental effect on balance and stability. Vestibular Disorders: Patients with either central or peripheral vestibular disorders suffer from dizziness and imbalance. Current research conducted in partnership with the UPMC Center for Balance Disorders examines how patients with these disorders can improve function through vestibular rehabilitation therapies. The studies examine how sensory compensation occurs and explores improved therapeutic techniques, such as virtual reality to help patients suffering with different types of disorders. Human Factors Engineering of Medical Devices: One critical aspect of developing and designing medical devices is understanding user-device interface. Human factors engineering focuses on designing devices to meet the capabilities of the user. One current project, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration, focusses on understanding the critical gaps in the design of medical devices from a human factors perspective and developing a decision support system to aid in the design process. Another recent project, the Human Factors of Aging, funded by the NIH, provides support for investigators who are translating their research into new devices and interventions for older adults.
DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING
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