On March 14, Sedona Cady defended her Ph.D. dissertation, “Perceptual, Functional, and Psychosocial Impacts of a Wirelessly Connected Implanted Sensorimotor Interface for Bidirectional Upper Limb Neuroprostheses.”
While at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cady was instrumental in validating a high channel count, wirelessly connected, implanted somatosensory electrical neurostimulation and sensing (iSENS) system to restore sensation and myoelectric control to individuals with upper limb loss. Cady was part of a collaborative effort to implement a crossover clinical trial in which one study participant with upper limb loss used the iSENS system with a bidirectional prosthesis at home for three months. Long-term use of the iSENS system with the bidirectional prosthesis yielded several functional and psychosocial improvements, highlighting the significance of implanted interfaces to improve the lives of prosthesis users. In 2023, Cady and a study participant had the opportunity to present the system at a Demo Day at The Pentagon in Arlington, Va.
A native of Mokena, Illinois, Cady came to CWRU after earning her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Ohio State University. She was drawn to CWRU for its clinical research in neural engineering.
Primarily interested in closed-loop neuromodulation devices, sensory neuroscience, and rehabilitation engineering, Cady is currently applying for biomedical engineering and clinical research scientist industry positions related to the research and development of neuromodulation devices. She thanks her Ph.D. advisor, Human Fusions Institute director Dustin Tyler, for his guidance, mentorship, and support.
