From Research to Real-World Systems
2025-03-07
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Before joining Stryker, I worked at Holland Bloorview’s Bloorview Research Institute, including as a Research Project Manager in the PROPEL Lab, led by Dr. Jan Andrysek.
The work combined engineering research with clinical needs. A promising device or digital workflow still had to fit the way clinicians assessed, fabricated, and evaluated it.
From research questions to delivery plans
I worked with the principal investigator and clinical collaborators to define scope, coordinate studies, and balance technical work with available funding and staff time. That included translating research questions into testable workflows and supporting decisions about equipment, methods, and priorities.
I also contributed to grant proposals, budget planning, procurement, and onboarding. The funding work helped secure more than $4M in research grants.
Introducing digital workflows
One focus was bringing 3D scanning, CAD, and additive manufacturing into prosthetic and orthotic workflows. That workflow change reduced prosthetic production lead time by 30%; repeatability and data quality mattered alongside the tools themselves.
A scan or fabrication method could perform well in an experiment and still be difficult to adopt. The project work made me pay closer attention to training, workflow fit, and the effort required to change an established process.
Software and cloud work
I also led an Agile team developing a machine-learning Android application for gait analysis. I managed requirements, backlog priorities, sprint planning, and iterative validation as the team moved from concept to an investor-ready demonstration. Model development and experimentation used Google Cloud and Vertex AI.
What carries into my current work
Healthcare implementations raise many of the same delivery questions: who needs to be involved, what must be validated, which dependencies could delay the next step, and how the system will fit daily clinical work.
My research background helps me approach those questions with a plan for testing assumptions, rather than treating the initial requirements as settled.
Related research
My work touched non-contact scanning, digital orthotic and prosthetic workflows, gait biofeedback, pressure sensing, and prosthetic socket design. My publication profile lists the papers and collaborators.