Ela Lewis

Ela Lewis

stroke SIG Chair

Education:

not provided

Certifications:

NCS

Current Practice:

I currently work with stroke patients in an inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient setting. I work hands with stroke survivors approximately 25% of the time as it relates to developing and administering best practice protocols for two robotic stroke devices. The KineAssist(which I co-invented and have a patent on) and the Myomo NeuroRobotic System, an UE EMG driven device for moderately to severely impaired stroke survivors.

Employment:
Myomo, Inc, Boston, MA
Executive Vice President
2007-Present
-Created and implemented Excellence in Customer Service Plan for clinical partners and home consumers. 
-Collaborate and oversee all research studies and act as the direct interface with the Scientific Advisory Board. Partners include University of Cincinatti, University of Pittsburgh, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, New York Presbyterian Cornell and Columbia, Boston Medical Center and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
-Develop and integrate Clinical Best Practice Programs with partner clinics to develop excellence in implementing the technology into mainstream patient care.
-Interface between clinical and engineering to finalize design requirements and testing before market launch of new products.

Health South, Pittsburgh, PA
Regional Director of Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Program
2006-2007
-Implementation of clinical practice guidelines to ensure regional excellence in patient outcomes -Development of community based outreach to increase regional brand awareness -Participant in Health South National Evaluation of Technology Committee

KineaDesign, Chicago, IL
Product Manager
2002-Present
-Co-Inventor and patent holder of the KineAssist, an over-ground gait and balance robot, the intellectual property of which was sold to Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 2007.
-Helped lead product design and market research activity in conjunction with design firm IDEO.
-Assisted in the design, implementation, and publication of clinical research studies.
-Co-author on several funded grants to further develop additional technology and applications.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Physical Therapist,Researcher and Educator
1997-2002
-Inventor and first author of SCATS (Spinal Cord Assessment Tool for Spasticity). 
-Co-Author on several rehabilitation publications with expertise in spasticity and technology -Course Developer and National Presenter of over 20 courses presented in conjunction with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Professional Contributions:

Overview:
Inventor and first author of the SCATS, Internationally used Spasticity Assessment tool for Spinal Cord Injury.
Co-Inventor of the KineAssist: Gait and Balance robot for overground treatment post stroke
Co-Author on several rehabilitation publication with expertise in spasticity and technology
Course Developer and National Presenter of over 20 courses presented in conjunction with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
 
Adjunct Faculty:
University of Illinois Chicago
2002-2004

Chatham University
2010

Publications: (Published last names are Lewis and pre- Lewis: Benz,E)

James Patton, David A. Brown, Michael Peshkin, JulioJ. Santos-Munne, Alex Makhlin, Ela lewis, J. Edward Colgate. KineAssist: Design and Development of a Robotic Overground Gait and Balance Therapy DeviceTopics in Stroke Rehabilitation 15(2):131-139 (2008)

Lewis, Ela; Santos, Julio; Patton, James; Makhlin, Alex; Crombie, Gwendolyn; Peshkin, Michael; Settle, Krista; Colgate, Edward;

Brown, David A. Development and testing of a new robotic gait and balance training system for individuals post-stroke International Society for Posture and Gait Research 2007 18th International conference on : 14 July- 18 July 2007.

Benz E, Hornby TG, Bode RK, Scheidt RA, Schmit BD. A physiologically based clinical measure for spasticity in spinal cord injury. Archives of PM&R. 2005: 86:52-58.
 
Hornby TG, Tysseling-Mattiace VM, Benz E. Contribution of muscle afferents to prolonged flexion withdrawal reflexes in human spinal cord injury. J Neurophysiol 2004: 92(6):3375-84.

Schmit BD, Hornby,TG, Tysseling-Mattiace VM, Benz E. Absence of local sign withdrawal in chronic human spinal cord injury.  J Neurophysiol. 2003:90(5):3232-41.

Hornby TG, Rymer WZ, Benz E, Schmit BD. Windup of flexion reflexes in chronic human spinal cord injury: a marker for neuronal plateau potentials? J Neurophysiol 2003:89(1):416-26.

Schmit BD, Benz E. Extensor reflexes in human spinal cord injury: activation by hip proprioceptors.
Exp Brain Res. 2002:145(4):520-7.

Schmit BD, Benz E, Rymer WZ. Reflex mechanisms for motor impairment in spinal cord injury.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2002:508:315-23.

Schmit BD, Benz E, Rymer WZ. Afferent mechanisms for the reflex response to imposed ankle movement in chronic spinal cord injury. Exp Brain Res. 2002:145(1):40-9.

Professional Awards:

Taylor FellowShip at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago 1999.

Previous Involvement in the Neurology Section:

not provided

Why Are You Running For This Position?

I have been very fortunate to have had a great career in physical therapy to date. I have worked in many areas that include: clinical practice, research, education, administration and industry.  I am running for this position because I would like to give back to a profession that has given me so many opportunities. I have a substantial amount of experience in the area of stroke rehabilitation and would be honored to work with the many members of this SIG to bring to life the initiatives that are important to the group as a whole.

The Section would like to extend a special thanks to all of the partnering organizations that have joined in to make the organization an invaluable resource for information, tools, and support for the population we serve.