Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of the District of Columbia
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Dr. Lara Thompson is a 2022 recipient of the Alan T. Waterman award, the nation’s top honor for early career scientists and engineers. Since the Alan T. Waterman award’s inception in 1975, she is the first awardee from a historically black college and university (HBCU), and further, she is the first self-identified female of color recipient. Dr. Thompson is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering and is the founding Director of the Biomedical Engineering program, the first and only ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering program at a HBCU, and the Center for Biomechanical & Rehabilitation Engineering (CBRE) at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), a state-of-the-art research facility focused on human mobility.
Dr. Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, followed by a Master of Science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Stanford University, then working for over 2 years at Charles Stark Draper Laboratory as a mechanical engineer, followed by a pursuing and obtaining Doctoral degree from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) in biomedical engineering. Her doctoral research was the first to demonstrate that a vestibular-based sensory prosthetic can improve the ability to maintain balance during head-turns.
Thompson has trailblazed new research initiatives and educational programs and spearheaded new infrastructure tied to biomedical engineering. She utilizes her engineering background to develop new technological innovations, while implementing engineering techniques to understand the mechanisms that underlie the neurological impairments, tied to balance. At present, she investigates assistive technologies, robotics, and methodologies towards improving balance and reducing fall-risk in the rapidly growing aging population. She comes with research experience conducting postural investigations in both non-human primate subjects and human participants. The revolutionary approaches developed by Dr. Thompson are advancing the field of rehabilitation engineering and biomechanics towards improving the quality-of-life for mobility impaired populations. Aside from research studies, in terms of building new research infrastructure, one of her most recent and intensive projects involves leading the design of a new, multi-laboratory facility (a specialized center for assistive rehabilitation research) aimed to focus on gait & balance, assistive robotics, virtual reality rehabilitation, and biomechanics.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM US EST
