CL I N ICA LLY SPE AK ING
IMPORTANT, BUT UNEXCITING Written by: ROSA WALSTON LATIMER
A general description of a rehab engineer is an engineer involved with the design, development and application of assistive technology to assist persons with disabilities. Sharon Sonenblum, Ph.D., is a rehab engineer and principal research scientist at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta. She specializes in wheeled mobility and seating, pressure ulcer prevention and early detection. “My work is fairly simple and straightforward,” Sonenblum said. “I study people’s rear ends! And, although my work has been described as ‘important, but fundamentally unexciting,’ I am willing to tackle a problem that is unexciting. I understand the need for an engineering solution to a physiological problem.”
WOULD YOU TELL US WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS ENGINEERING/PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CONNECTION AS A CAREER? I don’t have that warm, feel-good story that many have about choosing rehab engineering as a career. I had earned a degree in engineering and needed to figure out a career path. Most of the opportunities in orthopedics were very cellular and seemed far removed from something that would interest me. I wanted to do something more tactile; that I understood intuitively. In my search about possible engineering careers, I happened upon information about rehab engineering. I liked what I found. This was work that involved working with people and solving problems that helped individuals. It made sense to me, and I began applying for jobs in that area. My first job was at Georgia Tech and 17 years later, I’m still here. Once I got started, it was clear I have the ability to do work that helps people with disabilities, and I have an interest in a research question that isn’t a hot topic. This is the logical crossroads of my career: I’m an engineer, but I understand the physiology and biology side. I also understand the importance of good communication. The other niche that I’ve found is being able to bridge the gap between engineers and clinicians. Sometimes when I give presentations, I am asked what kind of clinical work I do. I tell them I’m not a clinician and would probably not make a very good one, but I can communicate effectively with clinicians and appreciate the work they do. I can present engineering in a way that clinicians can relate to their work. That’s not an easy thing to do, and I’m proud of that ability because I believe that is helpful and is often missing. That breakdown in communication is why engineers sometimes develop crappy products and why clinicians sometimes have difficulty explaining their needs to engineers. There is a shortage of people who can find
14
DIRECTIONS 2021.1
Sharon Sonenblum, Ph.D.
that middle ground or who can help others find that middle ground. When I discovered I could help meet that need, my work became more exciting. Not only could I do this research, designed to help people, but I can share vital information and teach others. After presentations, I have clinicians come to me and say, ‘Wow, this is useful. I can take this to my clinic and do something with it.’ That is a rewarding experience! I recognize that the work of a clinician is difficult and being able to help them is a motivating factor for me. I am, by nature, a teacher, and I don’t get to teach in a classroom, but I get to go around the country and around the world and teach clinicians in a way that is useful to them. That is the most satisfying part of my work.
IN ADDITION TO YOUR PRESENTATIONS IN A GROUP SETTING, WHAT OTHER WAYS DO YOU CONNECT YOUR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITH CLINICIANS IN OUR INDUSTRY? That varies. Earlier in my career, when I was collecting the clinical data for my trials, I was in a clinic a couple of days a week. During this time, I worked hands-on with the clinicians, which I loved doing. I don’t do that
