Community Seminar Series partners with the McKechnie Family LIFE Home to showcase health innovation at Illinois
3/7/2024 8:57:45 AM
When Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) and University of Illinois Extension collaborated to establish the Community Seminar Series in 2020, the plan was to hold weekly in-person events for local community members to connect with University of Illinois researchers, explore evidence-based health topics, and make more informed decisions about their health and wellness.
Shortly after the first seminar, the world paused as we navigated a global pandemic. A month later, organizers moved the series to a virtual format, exponentially expanding the reach and impact of the series.
Now, with more than 10,000 participants and featuring 40 different University of Illinois researchers, the CSS has partnered with the McKechnie Family LIFE Home to offer a unique in-person opportunity for participants to learn about research where it happens. The final three sessions of the spring seminar series will be offered both virtually and in-person at the LIFE Home, a cutting-edge research center focused on innovations in home environments to allow people of all ages and abilities to live fuller, healthier, and autonomous lives.
When Chelsey Byers, Dee Walls, and Max Wallace began discussing possibilities for the CSS to hold in-person seminars aimed to strengthen community ties with campus researchers and facilities, Wallace, Program Coordinator for the Community Seminar Series, thought of the LIFE Home. Wallace first toured the LIFE Home with IHSI staff in 2022.
“I thought the LIFE Home would be a great showcase for some of University of Illinois’ technological health innovations. We reached out and discussed opportunities for their student researchers under the guidance of LIFE Home leadership to present their research to broader audiences, translating cutting edge health research to the community,” Wallace said.
The McKechnie Family LIFE Home team agreed. “This seminar series aligns with one of the goals of the LIFE Home to foster community partnerships and support interdisciplinary research,” the team said. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration with the Community Seminar Series as we partner with our community to advance research that improves quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.”
Of the various LIFE Home research projects, the team decided to highlight research from TechSAge: Technologies to Support Aging among People with Long-Term Disabilities. TechSAge, a collaboration between Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center funded by National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Founded in 2013, TechSAge features multidisciplinary research, development, and training projects that are dedicated to understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, people aging with long-term disabilities.
Participants can attend any or all of the three sessions being offered at the McKechnie Family LIFE Home, located at 75 Bailey Drive in Champaign. Participants will then have an opportunity to tour the LIFE Home to see how these innovations, including robots and smart home technologies, are integrated into the home environment. The LIFE Home also offers virtual and in-person tours for anyone who is interested in learning more.
The Community Seminar Series addresses a range of topics and occurs Wednesdays at noon now through April 17. Below are details of the three seminars being offered at the LIFE Home. For a full schedule of the spring seminars, please visit the Community Seminar Series website.
Increasing Safety: Developing a Fall Detection Device for Wheelchair and Scooter Users | April 3
Hear from the TechSAge D2 research team tackling the common issue of falls among wheelchair and scooter users. Explore the development of a cutting-edge system designed to detect falls and automatically alert caregivers or emergency professionals accurately. Andie Tangonan, a kinesiology and community health doctoral candidate, will present.
Empowering Independence: Technology Solutions for Older Adults with Vision Impairment | April 10
Explore the intersection of technology and daily living for older adults with vision impairments like macular degeneration or glaucoma. Discover the transformative impact of technology on enhancing quality of life. Envision a more inclusive and equitable future, bridging the gaps between overcoming barriers and embracing innovations for older adults with vision conditions. Tooba Umar, MBBS, a master’s student in community health, will present.
Embracing AI: Assistance for Enhanced Living | April 17
Discover the potential of AI assistants in promoting independence and combating loneliness for older adults in their own homes, offering companionship, and simplifying daily tasks. Learn how technology can contribute to physical and psychological well-being, enabling people to live independently at home with the support of AI. Jaewon Kang, Ph.D., MSOT, a postdoctoral research associate in kinesiology and community health, and Kathryn Florence Huang, a master’s student in kinesiology, will present.