Mechanical Engineering
amir.ghiasi-noughaby@polymtl.ca
Research Title: Identification of the Sensory Interactions between Vision and Proprioception in Human Balance Control
Short presentation
My name is Amir Ghiasi Noughaby, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Polytechnique Montreal, where I work on "Identification of the Sensory Interactions between Vision and Proprioception in Human Balance Control".
I am working as a researcher in Polytechnique Laboratory for Assistive and Rehabilitation technologies (POLAR), institute of TransMedTech (iTMT), and Technopole in Pediatric Rehabilitation, the Research Center of CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, under the supervision of Prof. Abolfazl Mohebbi and also in Neuromuscular Control Lab at McGill University under the co-supervision of Prof. Robert E. Kearney.
Before, I worked on exoskeleton robotics and rehabilitation technologies during my M.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering at Sharif University of Technology, Iran, and my B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
What was your method of explaining your thesis in 3 minutes?
Generally, explaining a research project in three minutes for general audiences is complicated. However, I tried to do my best by simplifying the concepts so that they are understandable to everyone, through:
- Engaging audiences with the subject by starting with simple examples related to my project that everyone has experienced in their daily life.
- Connecting the examples to the research to clarify the main scientific concepts of the problem.
- Highlighting the necessity of the project by briefly explaining the potential benefits and impacts of my project in the real life of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
- Trying to avoid using scientific language, and if it was necessary, I explained it in simple words.
- Getting the attention of audiences to the subject, at the end of the presentation, with their daily activities.
Finally, I gave the presentation to my wife and friends, realized how hard or easy is the presentation for them, and then polished the text according to their feedback.
What inspires you to do research?
I always feel this need to apply research findings in biomedical engineering into real-world applications and make contributions to clinical processes to alleviate problems of patients with disabilities in balance and movement. Therefore, I believe that working in this field paves the way to improve the life quality of patients by developing rehabilitation technologies.
If you have to dedicate your research to anyone in the past, present, or future, who would it be and why?
I dedicate this research to my wife and my parents, who always help me throughout this journey with their endless support, encouragement, and belief in me.
3 key words to define your research
Human Postural Control, Central Nervous System, Sensory Systems
