Personalized Mobility Interventions using Smart Sensor Resources for Lower-limb Prostheses Users

Dr. Sara Nataletti, Doctoral graduate of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology), will come to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) and Northwestern University as a Visiting Post-Doctoral Fellow. Specifically, Dr. Nataletti will work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team to identify the need for, provide, and evaluate the efficacy of multifaceted interventions to optimize prosthesis use, mobility, and goal attainment among individuals with lower limb loss. She will also be part of a team that will work to improve a mobile application for exercise and will evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise program that uses the app and motivational interviewing to improve the rates of physical activity among persons with spinal cord injury. Her training will involve elements related to the design, execution, and interpretation of studies with a focus on improving mobility and adherence to physical activity guidelines using clinical and computational approaches. Dr. Nataletti will also assist with development of collaborative projects within and outside the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, as well as submitting and disseminating findings via peer-reviewed publications and conferences. These projects aim to increase mobility and exercise among individuals with limb loss and neurological injury. The results will lay the groundwork for our long-term goal of developing new interventions and clinical tools that can be widely utilized to improve mobility and physical health to allow individuals to meet their personal goals and maximize their community participation and quality of life.