User:UofT BME410/Sandbox 1

Milos R. Popovic
Born	Belgrade, Serbia
Alma mater	University of Toronto University of Belgrade
Known for	Contributions to stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Awards	2014  UHN Inventor of the Year
Scientific career
Fields	Neuroscience
Institutions	University of Toronto Toronto Rehab Institute

Milos R Popovic is a scientist, who specializes in neurorehabilitation, assistive technology, and biomechanics. Popovic is currently the Director of Research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) at the University of Toronto. He is known primarily for his research in functional electrical stimulation (FES) for stroke rehabilitation. He co-founded MyndTec, a company that is commercializing the novel FES therapy developed from Popovic's research with stroke and spinal cord injury patients.

Education

Popovic received a Dipl. of Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade in his native Serbia in 1990. He then earned his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1996. His thesis focused on friction modelling and control.

Career

Academic Work

In July of 2001, Popovic established The Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (REL) at the Lyndhurst Centre of Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI), which is devoted to the advancement in the field of rehabilitation engineering. REL supports multiple research groups, including the Popovic group, focused on neuromodulation, neuromuscular performance, rehabilitation technologies, regenerative medicine, restoration of function, and motor control. In 2018, Popovic was appointed as TRI's Director of Research. Within this capacity, he also works closely with the iDAPT (Intelligent Design for Adaptation, Participation and Technology) Centre to translate research into therapies.

• Most significant contributions to science
  • Briefly explain each topic and reference to the relevant publication
    • Compex Motion simulator
    • FES therapy protocols
    • Brain-machine interfaces

Education and Mentorship

Popovic is co-chair of the Canadian National Spinal Cord Injury Conference, which he co-founded in 2004.

• As of January 2019, Popovic has mentored 15 scientists and supervised 22 postdoctoral fellows, 24 PhD students, 25 MASc students, 8 MHSc students, 6 MSc students, 52 undergraduate thesis students, and 99 summer research projects.

• Part of several international and domestic academic committees
• Frequently does guest lectures at University of Toronto for undergraduate and graduate courses
• Invited to be a keynote speaker on 25 occasions, taught over 200 guest lectures and 25 workshops

Industry

In 2008, Popovic co-founded MyndTec based on the FES system that has been a focus of his research. Myndmove is a medical technology company that develops therapies to improve function and maximize independence for patients with stroke- and spinal-cord injury-related paralysis. Through his product development work both within TRI and MyndTec, Popovic has several patents related to FES methods and devices.

• Junior Power Systems Engineer at Southern Electric in 1989
• Research Engineer at Robotics and Automation Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Toronto, Canada in 1991
• System Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace(later as Allied Signal Aerospace Canada) from 1996 to 1997
  • Systems Engineer I: Jan 1996 – Dec 1996
  • Systems Engineer II: Dec 1996 – Aug 1997
  • Focus on developing DASH 8, a 400’s Power Generation and Distribution
  • Honeywell Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics. It was acquired by Allied-Signal Inc. in 1999.

Media Coverage

Popovic has been featured in several news stories, as well as televized and broadcast interviews on local media outlets to discuss his work. In 2015, he discussed the use of FES in stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. In 2018, his FES device MyndMove was featured as a technology for paralysis. He was also featured on a tour of iDAPT at TRI, to discuss the lab space and current research.

Honours and Awards

Dr. Popovic is the recipient of many awards on a local and national level. The most prestigious are highlighted below.

2018: Jonas Salk Award - March of Dimes, Toronto, Ontario

2018: Leaders Circle Award

2014: University Health Network’s Inventor of the Year Award

2013: University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award (with Drs. Prodic, Lehn, and Huerta-Olivares, and Mr. Tarulli)

2013: Health Technology Exchange - Morris (Mickey) Milner Award for outstanding contributions in Assistive Technologies

2012: TiEQuest Business Venture Competition - 1st Prize and Best Intellectual Property for MyndTec Inc.

2012: Innovation Award - Connaught Committee, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, January 2012.

2011: Elected to College of Fellows of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering

2008: Engineering Medal for Research and Development from Professional Engineers of Ontario and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers

1997: Swiss National Science Foundation Technology Transfer Award - 1st place (with Dr. Thierry Keller)