April 1, 2009

NC State ISE Professor Honored as Health Care Hero

Dr. Ola Harrysson, associate professor in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University, was recently recognized by the Triangle Business Journal as a 2009 Health Care Hero.

The award, presented at a ceremony on March 26, honors an individual's accomplishments in health care and his/her innovation and compassion in working to improve the human condition.

Harrysson was honored in the Innovator/Researcher category for his groundbreaking health care work in osseointegration, a process that fuses a prosthetic limb directly to bone.   Harrysson custom-designs limb-sparing prosthetics that behave much like natural limbs which, to date, have successfully been implanted in two feline patients and one canine.

However, Harrysson's work does not stop with animals.   The goal is to ultimately bring this revolutionary surgery to humans.   A quickly engineered, custom-designed prosthetic for humans would offer a substantially more efficient, comfortable and potentially cost-effective option for those in need of prosthetics.

“I'm honored to be part of the exceptional group the Triangle Business Journal has chosen to receive this award,” noted Harrysson. “I share my excitement with all of the NC State researchers who dedicate their time and effort to improving the human condition.”

-degraff-

/ News Index / News Archives Index /