Our Team
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Xincheng is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University. He received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Waseda University, where he did research on how external forces/tensions propagated the human body and investigated its effects on body motions.
Xincheng is interested in designing assistive and wearable devices. He is currently working on a robotic neck brace to aid patients with neck muscle weakness and mobile Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (mTPAD) projects. In addition to engineering, Xincheng is interested in martial arts, literature, and movies.I received my degree in Physical Therapy in 2007. I obtained my specialization in Pediatric Physical Therapy from the International University of Catalunya (UIC) and my Master degree in Neuroscience from the Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y Leon (INCYL) at the University of Salamanca (USAL). Additionally, I did further studies in Neurological Pathology at the University Rey Juan Carlos of Madrid (URJC). I worked as a physical therapist in the field of pediatric and adult neurorehabilitation in Spain from 2006 through 2011. I came to the States in 2011 and obtained my PhD under the supervision of Dr. Marjorie Woollacott at the University of Oregon. I obtained my Post-doctoral training with Dr. Andrew Gordon at Teachers College, Columbia University. My field of research focuses on evidence-based motor learning-control training programs and understanding their underlying neuromuscular and biomechanical mechanisms. I presently work as an Associate Research Scientist in the ROAR lab under the supervision of Dr. Sunil K. Agrawal at Columbia University. Currently, we are investigating the potential of this innovative technology to maximize functional recovery of postural and reaching deficits in children and adults diagnosed with neuromotor disorders such as cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.
Sunil K. Agrawal has developed a highly visible interdisciplinary program in rehabilitation robotics at Columbia University. Through a range of innovative designs of robots and clinical studies, Dr. Agrawal has showed that novel training robots can help humans to relearn, restore, or improve functional movements. Dr. Agrawal received a BS in mechanical engineering from IIT, Kanpur (India) in 1984, a MS degree from Ohio State University in 1986, and a PhD degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, California, in 1990. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He is an author of 450 research articles, 3 books, and 13 US patents.
Kalpana is a high school senior at the Academy for Medical Science Technology in Hackensack, NJ. She interns at the ROAR Lab where she is working on tensile testing for C-ALEX under the guidance of Rand Hidayah.
Kalpana is excited to be starting her undergraduate studies at Columbia this fall and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering.
Justin Freeman is a MS student in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University where he won the Sternheimer Award for his work on a Smart Chest Tube Insertion Device at the Capstone Senior Design Expo. He also interned at Framatome Inc. working on non-destructive examination inspection robotics in nuclear reactors, and worked on integrating smart devices into residential and industrial buildings at Hacka Labs. Justin is currently working on gait training using the mobile tethered pelvic assist device (MTPAD).
Dr. Zhang recently joined the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah as a tenure-track assistant professor. He is also a core faculty member of the University of Utah Robotics Center. He earned his PhD degree and obtained his postdoc training from the ROAR Lab. He received his M.S. and B.E. degrees, both in Mechanical Engineering, from University of Massachusetts Amherst and Dalian University of Technology.
His research interest is broad, spanning design and control of wearable robots, assistive technology, sensorimotor and rehabilitation, and robot learning. Famous for his work in head-neck rehabilitation and robotic training for animals, he currently directs the Utah Wearable Robotics (UWR) Laboratory at the University of Utah.
Chawin received his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (First-Class Honors, Gold Medal) from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. He is also a recipient of the Anandamahidol Foundation Scholarship, granted by the former King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. His research topics of interest are robot design, dynamics, control, and biomechanics of human movement. His previous works included the development of upper limb rehabilitation devices and leg prostheses.