Introduction

Hi and welcome to my blog!

My name is Sebastien Gilmour, and I am currently a senior at BASIS Scottsdale Charter School. I have been attending BASIS all the way from fifth grade and I am very excited to announce that I will be finishing up my final year’s third trimester with an independent senior research project. Over the course of ten weeks, I will be working at an internship for a minimum of 15 hours per week conducting research about an innovative prosthetic device called iLimb. After the ten week period of interning and researching for my topic, I will be presenting my thesis in a final presentation to the Senior Research Project Board.

I have been interested in neuroscience since tenth grade and I wanted to intern in something related to my intended major. I first learned of neuroprosthetic devices from the Nicolelis Lab’s pioneering research at Duke University. From my initial reading, I was intrigued at the research and the ability of these devices to be controlled by electric signals. This field fascinated me because of the potential of using this technology to make prosthetic devices controllable by the mind in a way mimicking organic materials.

With my internship at McCleve Orthotics and Prosthetics, I will have the opportunity to work at a company dedicated to helping amputees and other individuals improving their mobility and quality of life.  Beginning this research, I have no real experience in prosthetics themselves although I have worked in a hospital setting before (Clinical Studies Department at Mayo Clinic). 

Through this project, I hope to analyze the potential for transhuman movements (the idea that technology and drugs will alter the limits of human performance) to take to the mainstream in addition to the potential future of similar such technology. While talking about this subject in a social context, I will also be talking about the technology itself, explaining how the processes work.

Every week of this research project I will recount my research finding, and all of the experiences at my internship. By analyzing available data, and the use of first-hand experience, in regards to the accessibility, effectiveness, and design, I hope to answer “How effective the i-Limb device is to fully restoring one’s limb function.”

Here is a website link to my Internship Location Site: http://www.mccleveop.com/