Catalyst Grants: Employee-driven Innovation
Developing a Sensor System to Support Safe Recovery in Patients With Lower- extremity Weight-bearing Restrictions The research team will create and test a portable, waterproof sensor system that fits inside a shoe to deliver real-time feedback on how much weight a person puts on their legs while standing and walking. The system aims to help patients with lower-limb injuries recover more safely and achieve better outcomes. Performance & Rating System for Golfers With Disabilities This project will develop objective, data- driven criteria for classifying golfers with impairments using motion analysis and simulator outcomes to assess ability level and eligibility for Paralympic golf competition. Creating a Recovery Calculator for Spinal Cord Injury This project will help develop and test a new tool for doctors and therapists that uses data to predict recovery after a spinal cord injury. The calculator will help guide rehabilitation planning and give individual patients a clearer idea of what to expect during their journey.
56 applications 223 employees
The Sheli Z. and Burton X. Rosenberg Catalyst Grant Program awards different levels of funding for the most promising employee-driven research pilot projects. All projects use the model of pairing clinicians and other team members with scientists to improve something — for instance, a patient treatment, a device, a nursing protocol, data collection, even an operating system. Catalyst Grants are available at four different levels, with specific requirements matching the complexity, required expertise and cost of the project. Recently awarded projects include: Investigating the Impact of Hormones on the Brain, Movement & Fatigue in Women With Multiple Sclerosis (MS) This study will examine how changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle affect movement, the ability to learn new physical skills and feelings of fatigue. The goal is to help create more personalized and effective rehabilitation plans for women with MS.
Improving Swallowing Outcomes in Patients After Stroke Swallowing may seem simple but, for stroke survivors, it can become a complex and frustrating challenge. Traditional rehabilitation focuses on building muscle strength and movement — but swallowing is more than that. It’s a finely coordinated skill involving multiple structures working in harmony. With Catalyst Grant support, a Shirley Ryan AbilityLab team developed a new skills- based approach to improve swallowing: EAT‑STARS (Effort, Accuracy, Timing – Skill Training Applied to Rehabilitation in Swallowing). This innovative program uses surface electromyography visual biofeedback, which allows patients to see and refine their muscle activity in real time. Patients learn to swallow more effectively through repetition, progressive refinement and accurate performance of swallowing tasks — rather than through muscle strengthening alone. Early testing has been promising. Patients in the pilot program experienced significant improvements in swallowing ability and quality of life. Now, the team is sharing the results through national conferences and publications, laying the groundwork for Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and potentially others in the field, to adopt this protocol and improve swallowing and overall patient experience after stroke.
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