Joan E. Sanders, n/a (she/her/hers)

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, and also an auto-adjusting orthosis to maintain ankle mechanics despite changes in environment and other variables. Her team earned the prestigious Blatchford Prize for Innovation from the ISPO at their World Congress in 2023. While their prior technologies are being commercialized, her team continues their design innovation by working with the industry to create new adjustment and sensing technologies. 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.

Disclosure information not submitted.

Presentation(s):

• Testing an Adaptive Socket under High-Activity Conditions: Practical Findings for Clinical Use

  Thursday, February 19, 2026
  9:00 AM - 9:15 AM CDT