GarrisonThe 2015-2016 Wallace H. Coulter Seminar Series got off to an exciting start with guest speaker, Kevin Garrison from Garrison’s Prosthetic Service, Inc. Garrison, an amputee himself, is an accomplished author and researcher in the field of prosthetics. Garrison co-owns Garrison’s Prosthetic Service, Inc. in North Miami Beach, Florida and Garrison’s Orthotic and Prosthetic Clinic Inc. in Pompano Beach, Florida with his wife Catheline L. Garrison JD,OTR/L. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Garrison has a United States patent for a Quick Change Mechanism for a Limb Prosthesis, an article published in the Journal of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association titled “Prosthetic Modifications for the Treatment of Marginally Viable Below Knee Amputations”. In 2011 he wrote a second edition of an inspirational autobiography titled,  It’s Just a Matter of Balance- You Can’t Put a Straight Leg on a Crooked Man, which is now recommended reading by the American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists.

Garrison continues to demonstrate his commitment to the field of prosthetics with his most recent involvement with the FIU Department of Biomedical Engineering’s Adaptive Neural Systems Laboratory and their research collaboration, “Quantitative assessment of neuromechanical control in lower limb amputees during prosthetic limb fitting sessions.” Through this research, Garrison and the ANS lab are attempting to improve prosthetic limb fitting by conducting a quantitative analysis of the amputee’s gait, balance, and comfortability.

Through the generous support of the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, BME@FIU hosts weekly lectures featuring experts in all areas of biomedical engineering. Speakers are invited to campus to provide a research seminar, meet with faculty and students, and tour our academic and research facilities. The series is a great opportunity for students to engage with prolific members of the biomedical community to network and help shape their future career goals.

For a list of upcoming seminar speakers please visit https://bme.fiu.edu/lecture-series/