Professor
University of Washington
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington, United States
Joan Sanders is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington, conducting prosthetics and orthotics research for over 35 years. Her team creates innovative measurement and control technologies to enhance the quality of life of people with lower limb disability. Best known for her groundbreaking research advancing understanding of limb fluid volume management in transtibial prosthesis users, Dr. Sanders for the past 10 years applied those findings to develop a novel socket that auto-adjusts size to maintain consistent limb-socket positioning despite changes in limb fluid volume. Her team earned the prestigious Blatchford Prize for Innovation from the ISPO at their World Congress in 2023. More recently, her team created an adaptive dynamic ankle foot orthosis that has been shown to effectively auto adjust posterior strut stiffness to maintain consistent maximum stance phase dorsiflexion during running despite changes in speed, terrain, and other variables. Dr. Sanders’ innovative research has established a model path and framework to bring their technologies to commercialization and help revolutionize the field of prosthetics and orthotics.
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Testing an Adaptive Socket under High-Activity Conditions: Practical Findings for Clinical Use
Thursday, February 19, 2026
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM CDT