{"id":60738,"date":"2020-09-24T09:12:38","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T16:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=60738"},"modified":"2020-09-24T09:12:38","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T16:12:38","slug":"winn-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/winn-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"Philanthropic partnership propels next step for NAU\u2019s wearable robotics research"},"content":{"rendered":"

A donation from past NAU parents and longstanding NAU Athletics donors Greg Winn<\/strong> and Mary Winn-Radcliff<\/strong> will allow NAU researcher Zach Lerner<\/strong> to rapidly advance wearable robotics research in the NAU Biomechatronics lab.<\/p>\n

The gift to the NAU Foundation will allow Lerner, a 2010 NAU graduate and assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to expand and improve mobility for individuals with neurological impairments. He and his team of student and post-doctoral researchers focus on designing, controlling and testing robotic exoskeletons. The new Mary M. Winn-Radcliff and Gregory M. Winn Research Award will allow Lerner to broaden his research to impact people living with spinal cord injuries and contribute to NAU\u2019s distinguished research programs in related fields such as bioengineering and biotechnology.<\/p>\n

For Greg Winn, donating to this cause is personal\u2014his brother, Lance Winn, suffered a spinal stroke during back surgery a few years ago, which left him initially paralyzed from the waist down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am hopeful that Dr. Lerner\u2019s research will be the next step to delivering a definitive chance for individuals, like Lance, to reclaim their independence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lerner\u2019s research is devoted to developing improved exoskeletons, which can significantly augment human function by improving performance, mobility and recovery through enhanced rehabilitation. Wearable exoskeletons are customized to improve coordinated muscle control, fatigue resistance and walking efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the devices and interventions we are developing, people will be able to engage with a targeted neuro-rehabilitation strategy every single day,\u201d Lerner said. \u201cAnd this increase in dose should be really effective because our lightweight wearable assistive devices can be used anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his life-changing accident, Lance Winn has made many strides toward walking again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe accident turned my life upside down, but I am determined to reclaim my independence,\u201d he said. \u201cI went from using a walker to crutches, and most recently, a cane. My progress is a result of hard work and a positive mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lance Winn met Lerner at the NAU Phoenix Biomedical Campus, where Lerner\u2019s team conducted a live experiment by modifying a prototype device to fit him. The experience made Lance Winn hopeful and excited to reach another milestone. Wearing the device regularly could enable him and many others to walk longer distances, and it also could help with stability and strength and decrease fatigue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team\u2019s enthusiasm, focus and dedication to developing solutions that will improve the lives of so many people excite a person like me,\u201d Lance Winn said. \u201cIt helps me envision the future and motivates me to be an advocate for the greater spinal cord community. This research is going to improve people\u2019s health and well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Winns\u2019 gift enhances the NAU learning experience. Applying elements of mechatronics and robotics research in the classroom expands knowledge and engages students in the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences with cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cDevoted NAU Foundation donors like Greg, who align their philanthropic priorities with the vision of NAU\u2019s talented research faculty, drive meaningful discovery and solutions,\u201d President Rita Cheng said. \u201cDonor support advances NAU\u2019s research excellence and helps develop passionate minds in the lab and the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contributions from generous donors helps strengthen NAU\u2019s biomechatronics research opportunities. Lerner\u2019s long-term vision to broaden the scope of his research will impact many more potential beneficiaries over time.<\/p>\n

Learn more about NAU\u2019s Biomechatronics Lab by visiting biomech.nau.edu<\/a> and support the lab\u2019s innovative research by contacting Kelley.Horn@nau.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A donation from past NAU parents and longstanding NAU Athletics donors Greg Winn and Mary Winn-Radcliff will allow NAU researcher Zach Lerner to rapidly advance wearable robotics research in the NAU Biomechatronics lab. The gift to the NAU Foundation will allow Lerner, a 2010 NAU graduate and assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to expand and…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":52444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}