News

Jul 22, 2024

Alternative understanding of brain leads to new treatments for stroke patients

Since the early 20th century, researchers believed that movements on the right and left sides of the body were controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain. However, Penn State researcher Robert Sainburg proposed the complimentary dominance hypothesis, which states that both sides of the brain have a role to play in control of both sides of the body.

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Xiaogang Hu, right, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neurorehabilitation and associate professor of mechanical engineering, will lead a $4 million grant from the U. S. National Science Foundation to make robotic protheses more useful for people living with amputations. Long Meng, left, a postdoctoral scholar in Hu's lab, will participate in the research. Credit: Kate Myers/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Jan 30, 2024

$4M grant funds project to make robotic prostheses more like biological limbs

Prosthetic hands that incorporate robotics can perform dexterous self-care tasks, but they are often hard to operate, requiring a user’s constant attention with a limited number of hand functions. With a five-year, $4 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant, Penn State researchers aim to make robotic protheses more useful for people living with amputations.

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Oct 14, 2021

Robert Sainburg named Huck Chair in Kinesiology and Neurology

Robert “Bob” Sainburg, professor of kinesiology and of neurology and director of the Huck Institutes’ Center for Movement Science and Technology, has been named Huck Distinguished Chair in Kinesiology and Neurology.

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Sep 15, 2021

Assistant professor intends to bridge gap between humans and robots

Katie Fitzsimons will join the Penn State College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) as an assistant professor in January 2021. Through her research, Fitzsimons plans to advance robotics, powered by a greater understanding of human motion and behavior.

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Jul 30, 2019

The Other Hand

When it comes to therapy for stroke patients, sometimes treating the wrong hand is exactly right.

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Sep 15, 2021

High school students learn about biomechanics

In honor of National Biomechanics Day on April 7, the Department of Kinesiology hosted 60 State College Area High School students in the Biomechanics Laboratory in Rec Hall to showcase its research and facilities, in such areas as muscle movement and motion analysis.

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Sep 15, 2021

Chasing the Six Million Dollar Man

When Steve Piazza was a kid, he was fascinated by "The Six Million Dollar Man." The '70s TV show followed an astronaut who, after a crash, was given bionic limbs and a bionic eye. For Piazza, the show did more than just entertain -- it captured his imagination and set the stage for the rest of his life.

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Jul 29, 2013

Huck Institutes seek new Associate Directors for positions in science leadership

The Huck Institutes wish to appoint a series of new Associate Directors to work with the management team and help in developing new initiatives.

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Mar 01, 2012

College of Medicine researchers featured in recent media

Huck Institutes faculty members Wafik El-Deiry, James Broach and Xuemei Huang have each been featured in recent Penn State publications.

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Aug 03, 2010

Ancient gene family linked to the future of epileptic seizures

A potassium-channel gene belonging to an ancient gene family more than 542 million years old is opening new avenues in epilepsy research, and may one day allow researchers to develop more effective drugs with fewer side effects for the treatment of epileptic seizures.

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