News

 

Effective on October 1, 2009, our Hand Lab is with the Cleveland Clinic.

 

 

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[2009-01-06] Sunny Qin joins Hand Lab

[2009-01-05] Dr. Fayaz joins Hand Lab

[2008-12-31] Article citations

[2008-12-28] Rings on ring fingers

[2008-12-28] Orthopod thumb up

[2008-11-08] Dr. Li lectures at PM&R Conference

[2008-11-05] Dr. Li lectures at Harvard

 

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Dr. Zong-Ming Li was an invited keynote speaker on hand biomechanics at the 10th Congress of Chinese Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Guangzhou, China. The Congress highlights the importance and challenge of rehabilitation after the China's 2008 catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake (汶川大地震) that claimed almost 70,000 lives and injured about 400,000 people.

 

 

Dr. Zong-Ming Li was invited to lecture on the hand for the Orthopaedic Grand Round at Harvard. The photo below is taken in front of the Rembrandt's famous painting at the entrance of the Harvard Medical Library. Rembrandt created this artwork "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp" in 1632, illustrating the function of the flexor digitorum superficialis in bending finger joints. The painting signifies the evolvement of medical knowledge from anatomical description to functional understanding. It epitomizes the intellectual atmosphere of the modern theory of movement in physics and biology in the 17th century. From our research viewpoint, Rembrandt's painting represents the birth of hand biomechanics.

 

 

 

 

The Hand Lab would like to introduce one of its newest student researchers, Mr. Ryan Prantil. Originally from West Virginia, Ryan did his BS in bioengineering at Syracuse University where he majored in the biomechanics tract.  He has participated studies on knee kinematics and rehabilitation studies to Parkinson Disease patients during his undergraduate period. Now, he redirects his goals toward getting his PhD in bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. With funding from the NIH training grant and under the guidance of Dr. Li, Ryan would like to investigate the carpal tunnel through the application of various mechanical tests and mathematical modeling techniques and to see if alternate treatments could provide a solution to carpal tunnel syndrome. We warmly welcome Ryan to join us.

 

 

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Zong-Ming Li cordially invites world-wide colleagues in hand research to attend the 7th Triennial International Hand & Wrist Biomechanics Symposium & 1st International Symposium for Hand Research, which will be held in Pittsburgh, October 4-6, 2009 >>>

 

 

Our Hand Lab receives a research grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to study hand biomechanics. Dr. Nancy Baker is the principal investigator and Dr. Zong-Ming Li is a co-investigator of the project.

 

 

At the auspicious moment of the Beijing Olympics, Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky receives the Jim Hay Memorial Award for Research in Sports and Exercise Biomechanics at the annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics. Dr. Zatsiorsky was a member of the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

Photo after dissertation defense (1998). Dr. Zatsiorsky was the doctoral advisor of Dr. Zong-Ming Li at Penn State University during 1995-1998.

 

 

A research position is available in the Hand Research Laboratory >>>...

 

 

Mr. Chris DeSanctis wins the "SRI Best Research Award" in the 2008 EXCEL Summer Research Internship Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering. The title of his project is "Measurement of the thickness of the transverse carpal ligament using an ultrasound palpation device." Chris completed his project in our Hand Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Zong-Ming Li. Congratulations to Chris!

 

 

Dr. Robert Kaufmann is the recipient of this year's Ken Yaw Golden Apple Award in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The Ken Yaw Golden Apple Award is presented by the graduating seniors to a faculty member in recognition of exceptional teaching aptitude. We are fortunate to have such an great teacher with our Hand Lab.

 

 

Dr. Lee Berger, presented his painting, "The Orthopaedist", to Dr. Zong-Ming Li. The artwork was exhibited at the "eMotion Pictures: An Exhibition of Orthopaedics in Art" during the 75th Anniversary of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

 

 

Our Hand Lab welcomes a postdoctoral associate, Dr. Erica Xin Guo. Erica received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2007 from Sichuan University in China, and continued as a postdoctoral research scholar in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Beihang University in Beijing. During her graduate studies, she was a visiting student in our Hand Lab in 2003. Welcome back, Erica!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re happy to report that our Hand Research Laboratory had another productive year in 2007. Under the direction of Zong-Ming Li, PhD, the hand team continues to work diligently to increase our knowledge of the hand and its complexities. As always, we’re grateful to the many individuals who contribute to our research progress. Drs. Robert J. Goitz and Robert A. Kaufmann are the attending hand surgeons who provide clinical ... (more ......)

 

 

Dr. Lee Berger's painting "The Orthopaedist"  was exhibited at the eMotion Pictures: An Exhibition of Orthopaedics in Art during the 75th Anniversary of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), San Francisco, March 2-8, 2008. The painting was one of the 200 art works selected by a jury of art professionals from almost 1200 entries. Dr. Berger has exhibited his work frequently in art galleries, and finds that art and orthopaedics are similar in that both fields require creativity, special motor skills, and a finished product. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Berger invented many orthopaedic procedures, including the Balloon Carpal Tunnelplasty as a minimum invasive surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. Our hand research has greatly benefited from the passionate support from Dr. Berger, the surgeon, artist and inventor.

“Orthopaedic surgery is not only a science but an art, and the beauty of the art of orthopaedics is not only on the canvas but in the hearts of the orthopaedist and his patients.” - Lee Berger, MD

Dr. Berger and Dr. Li at the Exhibition with the painting on the wall.

 

 

Our Hand Lab presented five papers at the recent Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) meeting in San Francisco, March 2-5, 2008. For the conference, Dr. Zong-Ming Li serves as the Upper Extremity Topic Co-Chair (2007-2009).

 

 

With colleagues and friends at the 7th Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand and the 3rd Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of the Societies for Hand Therapists, February 14-17, 2008. Hong Kong,

(With Yudong Gu, York Chow, Shelley Chow, Dean Sotereanos, Lee Osterman, PC Ho, Josephine Wong, Cecilia Li-Tseng, Judy Colditz)

 

 

Dr. Josephine Wing-Yuk Ip presented a plaque to Dr. Zong-Ming Li as the Honorary Guest Speaker at the banquet of the 7th Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand and the 3rd Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of the Societies for Hand Therapists, February 14-17, 2008, Hong Kong.

 

 

Dr. Hisao Moritomo and Dr. Zong-Ming Li co-moderate

the Basic Science and Advanced Technology Symposium at the 7th Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand and the 3rd Congress of Asian Pacific Federation of the Societies for Hand Therapists, February 14-17, 2008, Hong Kong.

 

 

It was a great pleasure for our Hand Lab to welcome Charles S. Day, MD, the Hand Chief at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of the Harvard Medical School. We greatly enjoyed the lively discussion with Dr. Day and appreciate his many insightful comments on our research. Dr. Day completed his residency with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2001 -- it was wonderful he came back to visit.

 

 

Our Hand Lab welcomes Mr. Ahmad Fannoon, who is an Occupational Therapy graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. He had his B.Sc in Occupational Therapy in 2005, and worked as a teaching assistant in the University of Jordan in the Department of Occupational Therapy for two years after graduation; during the same period, he worked as a hand therapist in the occupational therapy clinic in the University of Jordan Hospital. He was sent to Pittsburgh by the University of Jordan on a scholarship to specialize in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation. He is looking forward to researching the carpal tunnel syndrome and new conservative treatments. He also hopes to enrich his knowledge of the hand internal structures and biomechanics.