Rita is a biomedical engineer whose PhD at Imperial College London focused on non-invasive spinal stimulation for upper limb amputees. Her motivation comes from working directly with amputees, witnessing the frustration of phantom limbs trapped in painful positions for years with no effective treatment available.
Her project addresses phantom limb paralysis, a condition where amputees' missing limbs become "frozen" in painful positions like a permanently clenched fist. Current treatments try to mask the pain, but none restore the lost ability to move.
Rita’s device combines gentle spinal stimulation with muscle sensors to help users regain control of phantom limbs, reduce pain and rebuild neural connections after amputation.
As Blue Sky Fellow, hosted by the Maxwell Centre, Rita will explore: Non-invasive spinal cord stimulation paradigm for phantom pain.
| Highlights | Context | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Provides Sensations to the Missing Hand of Individuals With Upper Limb Amputation | In this publication Rita discusses using non-invasive spinal cord stimulation, to help restore sensations in the missing hand of people with amputations, paving the way for next-generation prosthetics with sensory feedback. | Read here |
