Alex Mihailidis, PhD, PEng

Continued Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentorship

Affiliation(s):     Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering      

Context(s) for Award:     In recognition of continued excellence in gradiate teaching and mentorship.

Dr. Mihailidis is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehab Institute. He is also the Scientific Director of the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, which focuses on the development of new technologies and services for older adults. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (U of T) and in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (U of T). He has been conducting research in the field of pervasive computing and intelligent systems in health for the past 15 years, having published over 150 journal papers, conference papers, and abstracts in this field. He has specifically focused on the development of intelligent home systems for elder care and wellness, technology for children with autism, and adaptive tools for nurses and clinical applications. He currently holds several major research grants from internationally recognized funding agencies to support this work. Dr. Mihailidis is also very active in the rehabilitation engineering profession, currently as the Immediate Past-President for RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America). He was also named a Fellow of RESNA in 2014, which is one of the highest honours within this field of research and practice.

Reflection
I am very honoured and humbled to receive this award. I am strong believer that my role is to help train and support future generations of researchers and contributors in my field, and this award reconfirms my dedication to this goal. I have had the pleasure to work with a number of outstanding individuals as students and trainees. It is an even greater pleasure to now be able to work with many of these individuals as colleagues.