Community Learning Space

The infraNET Project and 
Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research
University of Waterloo


present ...


Paediatric Rehabilitation Engineering:
Enabling Participation Through Technology


by

Tom Chau, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Canada Research Chair in Paediatric Research Engineering
and Coordinator, Intelligent Systems Research Program
Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre, Toronto

Wednesday, November 24, 2004
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.


Davis Centre, Room 1302
University of Waterloo


This seminar is of interest to Health and IT Executives, IS/IT Staff, Faculty and Students.

Presentation Archive 2004-2005

Abstract

Since the World Health Organization published the new International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in 2001, our views on disability and rehabilitation have shifted towards a biopsychosocial model. This new understanding of functioning has influenced our thinking about rehabilitation engineering research and service delivery. Contextual factors and the dynamic nature of disability, once overlooked, are now becoming prominent considerations in many technology-driven rehabilitative solutions. This talk will highlight these key themes among others and exemplify their realization in some of the recent work at Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre, an academic health sciences centre, fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

Tom Chau, Ph.D. (UW Systems Design), P.Eng., is an electrical engineer by training. In February 2004, he was appointed as Canada Research Chair in Paediatric Rehabilitation Engineering at the University of Toronto. In April 2001, he was appointed Coordinator of the Intelligent Systems Research Program at Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre, a fully affiliated teaching and research hospital of the University of Toronto. Tom is a Senior Member of the IEEE and an assistant professor (Core Member) at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto. Tom also holds academic appointments in the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto. Tom was a Duncan L. Gordon Fellow for paediatric rehabilitation engineering research (Hospital for Sick Children Foundation). His research interests revolve around the exploitation of intelligent systems, and advanced analytical methods such as fractal dynamics, to enable children and youth with disabilities to achieve their personal best.

For more information

Shirley Fenton
Managing Director, WIHIR
The infraNET Project
Computer Systems Group, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4074

Seminar Hosts

This seminar is hosted by the Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research (WIHIR) and The infraNET Project, University of Waterloo.

The infraNET Project, initiated by the University of Waterloo in 1996, is a partnership to advance Web and Internet technologies. Its founding partners are: LivePage (now part of Siebel), MKS, Open Text, RIM, Sybase (Waterloo) and Waterloo Maple.

We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Institute for Computer Research, University of Waterloo.