Dr. Sam Nemanich, assistant professor of occupational therapy in the College of Health Sciences, has been awarded a two-year $443000 R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health, his second NIH grant in two years.
The new R21 gives Nemanich funding to research how to use everyday devices, such as an iPad, to measure hand and arm movement in children who have motor impairments.
This project will focus on cerebral palsy, the most common diagnosis of physical disability in childhood. Nemanich is collaborating with Dr. Iqbal Ahamed in the Department of Computer Science and other collaborators at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Northwestern University.
“I’m very grateful to have my research funded to develop modern tools that will allow us to evaluate and track hand and arm movements in different settings and environments,” Nemanich says. “This grant allows my lab to continue its mission of advancing our understanding and improving the care of children with physical disabilities.”
Nemanich’s previous R03 grant focused on differences in learned skills between children born pre-term and those born at term. Future work may combine these two projects by assessing children’s motor skills in different settings, such as the home or school.
“Dr. Nemanich’s research demonstrates a level of excellence in our department. It provides our faculty and students with opportunities to be more involved in the research process while accessing new information on how to treat pediatric patients more effectively,” says Dr. Christine O’Neill, Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy. “We are all proud of his work and excited to see what future advances this grant leads to.”
For more information on the occupational therapy department, click here.
