Biography

Wei earned her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Minnesota in 2022, and a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from China. She has worked with individuals with spinal cord injury during her graduate study and focused on research using different interoceptive methods to reduce neuropathic pain, improve motor and sensory function. She looks forward to continue working in research for people with disabilities to improve their abilities in managing daily activities.

Biography

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Biography

Guy M. Stofman, MD, is Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He attended Villanova University and graduated in the class of 1979 with a BS in Biology. From then he went onto medical school with his MD degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA.  He completed medical school in 1984, and subsequently completed his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. He then went on to complete a Plastic Surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1991.  He is board-certified in both Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery as well as Plastic Surgery.

He started his clinical career at the Mercy Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Unit in Pittsburgh.  In 1994 he became Chief of Plastic Surgery at Mercy Hospital and has held that position since.  From the start, in 1991, Mercy Hospital has been a clinical rotation of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery, and has always been highly regarded.  Among his accomplishments; he was President of Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery Society from 2001- 2003, President of the Robert H. Ivy Society, The Pennsylvania State Plastic Surgery Society from 2004-2005, and then inducted into the American Association of Plastic Surgery in 2005.  He has recently been asked to sit on the American Association of Plastic Surgery Finance Committee, and Ethics Committee a position held since 2016.  He has taught and lectured locally as well as nationally, with numerous publications, book chapters, and teaching courses over the last 25 years. Because of his double board certification in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (ENT plastic surgery) over the years he has developed vast experience in Rhinoplasty (cosmetic surgery of the nose). He lectures frequently and teaches plastic surgery residents on various techniques of rhinoplasty. He has a large surgical experience with expertise in face lift surgery, and surgery of the eyelids as well.  His reconstructive interest concentrates on lower extremity, and reconstructive surgery of the burned areas of the head and neck along with upper and lower extremities.  He has one of the largest series of reconstructive burn patients in the United States. He collaborates with HERL on projects related to skin breakdown in people with disabilities.

His professional memberships in addition to the Association include the American Society of Plastic Surgery, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Association of Plastic Surgeons and American College of Surgeons, where he is a local representative for Western Pennsylvania

Biography

Dr. Steven Albert  is the Hallen Chair of Community Health and Social Justice in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Albert  has 30 years of research experience in aging, neurologic disease, and interventions to change health behavior. Dr. Albert has served as PI on three R01 efforts (AG18234, Cognitive and Physical Basis of Disablement, 2001-06; MH62200, Depression and End of Life Care in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 2000-07; and NR012459, End of Life in the Very Old, 2010-15). Dr. Albert is currently co-direct the Clinical and Population Outcomes Core (CPOC) of the University of Pittsburgh NIA Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (P30 AG024827). Dr. Albert served as Co-Director and then Director of the U Pitt CDC Prevention Research Center (PRC U48 DP001918). Dr. Albert recently led the University of Pittsburgh HRSA Public Health Social Work Leadership training program (6G05HP7841) and a Core of the U Pitt NIMH Advanced Center for Intervention Services Research for Late Life Depression Prevention (MH090333). Dr. Albert has completed an extensive array of CDC-funded research, including an evaluation of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s statewide falls prevention program ( “Comparative Effectiveness of Community-Based Falls Prevention in Pennsylvania,” CDC ARRA U48 DP002657, 2010-13) that established the evidence base for the program. This research led to certification of the program and eligibility for Title-IIID ACL/AoA funding. Recently, with funding from the Dean’s Office, Dr. Albert established the Public Health Records Lab (PHRL) to use hospital system, health plan, and health insurance exchange EHR data to assess community health dynamics, and per a current data use agreement with the PA Department of Aging and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) the state aging services program data (subsidized prescription, housing, transportation use) merged with the UPMC EHR to assess the effect of meeting social needs on health outcomes.

Biography

Adam Sterczala, PhD, CSCS is a Research Physiologist at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh HealthCare System and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. He received his doctorate in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kansas and his M.S. degree in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Sterczala’s research is aimed at improving musculoskeletal health and function through exercise. He has expertise in neuromuscular and musculoskeletal physiology, the physiology of physical activity and exercise programming. Dr. Sterczala was recently awarded a VA Career Development Award to investigate the relationship between the myokine, irisin, and bone health individuals with spinal cord injury and to identify novel means to increase circulating irisin concentrations via exercise.  The goal of this project is to improve rehabilitation programs to attenuate or reverse spinal cord injury related bone loss.

Biography

Yanshan Wang PhD, FAMIA is currently Vice Chair of Research and Assistant Professor within the Department of Health Information Management. His research interests focus on artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), and machine/deep learning methodologies and applications in health care. His research goal is to leverage different dimensions of data and data-driven computational approaches to meet the needs of clinicians, researchers, patients, and customers.

Biography

Dr. Celia Lopes received her PhD in Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo - Brazil in 2005, and did Postdoctoral work in the Physical Therapy Department, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida. She is a professor and researcher in Physiotherapy within the Physical Education and Physiotherapy Faculty of Federal University of Uberlandia in Brazil. She was the coordinator of the Child Health Care area at the UFU Multiprofecional Residency until 2015 and professor in the Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences at the Federal University of Uberlandia until 2015. She is a researcher member of the Brazilian Paralympic Academy and Functional Classifier in para powerlift. 
She has experience in the field of Physiotherapy, with an emphasis on Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy and Intensive Care (adult and pediatric), working mainly on the following topics: physiotherapy cardiorespiratory therapy, cardiorespiratory assessment and intervention in adults and children, cardiorespiratory physiology and pathophysiology, mechanical ventilation, cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, Paralympic classification, assessment and intervention in para athletes, assistive technologies, innovation and public health. 

Biography

Na Du, PhD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems, School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh. Her research goal aims to improve human performance, safety, and well-being by applying human factors, data analytics, and cognitive psychology to the analysis, design, and evaluation of technology. Her research interests include human-computer interaction, human behavior modeling, and human-centered design. She received her PhD in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.