Vodovnik Award – Best Student Papers

At the 2000 IFESS Meeting in Aalborg, Denmark, the Executive Board of IFESS instituted the Vodovnik Student Paper Competition in honor of the late Dr. Lojze Vodovnik, consisting of three prizes to be awarded to the best three papers submitted and presented at IFESS conferences by IFESS student members.
2023
Marie Alberty
First Prize
Marie Alberty
(International FES Centre & Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland; University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany)
Chiara Höhler
Second Prize
Chiara Höhler
(Schoen Clinic Bad Aibling, Department of Neurology, Germany)
Vidisha Ganesh
Third Prize
Vidisha Ganesh
(North Carolina State University, U.S.A.)
2022
Omar Tawakol
First Prize
Omar Tawakol
(Laboratory of Neural Prosthetic Research, Illinois Institute of Technology, U.S.A.)
Neil Marshall
Second Prize
Neil Marshall
(Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, UK)
Conor Keogh
Third Prize
Conor Keogh
(University of Oxford, UK)
2021
Roberto M. de Freitas
First Prize
Roberto M. de Freitas
(Osaka University, Japan)
Development of an anatomically realistic cervical transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation model
Conor Keogh
Second Prize
Conor Keogh
(University of Oxford, UK)
Non-invasive phrenic nerve stimulation to avoid ventilator induced diaphragm deconditioning in critical care: Parameters and optimization
Third Prize
Varshini Nandakumar
(Bournemouth University, UK)
Machine learning controlled adaptive functional electrical stimulation to assist walking
2019
First Prize
Lazar Jovanovic
(University of Toronto, Canada)
Restoration of Upper-Limb Motor Function After Chronic Severe Hemiplegia Using Brain-Computer Interface-Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy: Results From Two Case Studies
Second Prize
Atsushi Sasaki
(University of Tokyo, Japan)
Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Excitability of Subcortical Circuits in Trunk Muscles
Third Prize
Christina Salchow-Hömmen
(Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Characterization of Optimal Electrode Configurations for Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation
2018
First Prize
Constantin Wiesener
(Technische Universität Berlin, Germany)
Second Prize
Ana Claudia Garcia Lopes
(Hospitais de Reabilitação, Brazil and Universidade de Brasília, Brazil)
Quadriceps Electrical Stimulation to Assist Sitting Pivot Transfers by Person with Paraplegia
Third Prize
Milica Isaković
(Tecnalia Serbia and University of Belgrade, Serbia)
Closed-Loop Proprioception Training System Based on Wireless Hand Kinematics Sensor and Electrotactile Stimulation
2014
First Prize
Matthias Müller
(Dept. of Microsystems Engineering IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Germany)
Fabrication of Flat Electrodes Utilizing Picosecond Laser Manufacturing Technology
Second Prize
Nobusuke Shibata
(Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University Hospital, Japan)
Post Contraction Hyperemia after Electrical Stimulation
Third Prize
Nalan Ektas
(Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia)
Development of a Sliding Stretcher FES-Rowing System
2013
First Prize
Andrea Sarasola Sanz
(Medical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electronics Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy) et al
Design of a Contralaterally Triggered Neuroprosthesis for the Paralyzed Eyelid: Surface EMG Mapping of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle for Real-time Eye Blink Detection
Second Prize
Ard Westerveld
(Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands) et al
Passive Reach and Grasp with Functional Electrical Stimulation and Robotic Arm Support
Third Prize
Aikaterini D. Koutsou
(Bioengineering Group, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain) et al
A novel method for the analysis of forearm muscle activation by selective sFES
2012
First Prize
Robin Gibbons
(Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, Brunel University, UK) et al
FES-rowing can alter cardiac structure and function in SCI: a pilot study
Second Prize
Bradley Holinski
(University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) et al
Intraspinal Microstimulation for Restoring Walking
Third Prize
Abigail Koppes
(Department of Biomedical Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA) et al
Exogenous Electrical Stimulation Promotes Unbiased, Robust Neurite Outgrowth and Non-Neural Cell Migration in 2D and 3D
2010
First Prize
Tim Boretius
(Department of Microsystems Engineering-IMTEK, Laboratory of Biomedical Microtechnology, University of Freiburg, Germany) et al
Second Prize
Thomas N. Nielsen
(Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark) et al
Third Prize
Cheryl L. Lynch
(Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada) et al
2009
First Prize
Changmok Choi
(KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea) et al
Second Prize
Yuji Inagaki
(Department of Restorative Neuromuscular Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan) et al
Third Prize
Tim Boretius
(Department of Microsystems Engineering-IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Germany) et al
2008
First Prize
Leandro R. Solis
(Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada)
Changes in superficial pressure and tissue oxygenation levels due to contractions elicited by intermittent electrical stimulation for the prevention of deep tissue injury
Second Prize
Albert H. Vette
(University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada)
Time delay from muscle activation to torque generation during quiet stance: implications for closed-loop control via FES
Third Prize
Kristian R. Nielsen
(Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Denmark) et al
Vagus nerve activity based prediction of epileptic seizures in rats
2007
First Prize
Ann M. Tokay
(Shriners Hospitals for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA)
Second Prize
Robert A. Gaunt
(University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Third Prize
Daniel R. Moroz
(University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
2006
First Prize
Milan Djilas
(Demar Project)
Second Prize
Hilton Kaplan
(University of Southern California, USA)
Third Prize
Robert Gaunt
(University of Alberta, Canada)
2005
First Prize
Simona Ferrante
(NITLab – TBMLab, Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano Via Garofalo Milano, Italy) et al
Quantitative evaluation of stimulation strategies for FES cycling
Second Prize
PM Klakowicz
(Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) et al
Increased H-reflexes boost muscle contractions during tetanic stimulation of the tibial nerve in neurologically-intact persons
Third Prize
GAM Kurstjens
(Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark) et al
Intraoperative recording of neurographic signals from cuff electrodes on extradural sacral roots in human
2004
First Prize
Michael Russold
(Liverpool, UK) et al
A stomal sphincter configured from the rectus abdominis muscle in pigs. First results.
Second Prize
Eric Chemineau
(Aalborg, Denmark) et al
A Modeling Study of the Recording Selectivity of Longitudinal Intrafascicular Electrodes
Third Prize
Dries Hettinga
(Brunel UK and Alberta Canada) et al
FES-rowing for persons with Spinal Cord Injury
2003
First Prize
Thomas O’Halloran
(Biomedical Electronics Laboratory, University of Limerick, Ireland) et al
Effect of modifying stimulation profile on loading response during FES-corrected Foot Drop
Second Prize
Che Fornusek
(Rehabilitation Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia) et al
Maximising muscle forces during FES-LCE via low pedalling cadence
Third Prize
Peter Boord
(University of Technology Sydney, Australia, Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney, Australia) et al
Alpha band activity during eye-closure in people with spinal cord injury
2002
First Prize
V. Vince
(Neural Rehabilitation Engineering Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium) et al
Biocompatibility Testing of Platinum Metallized Silicone Rubber
2001
First Prize
Dawn M. Taylor
(Arizona State University) et al
Using Virtual Reality to Test the Feasibility of Controlling an Upper Limb FES System Directly From Multi-unit Activity in the Motor Cortex
Second Prize
Thomas Fuhr
(Institute of Automatic Control Engineering, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany) et al
Walk! – Experiments with a Cooperative Neuroprosthetic System for the Restoration of Gait
Third Prize
Petra Mela
(University of Twente, The Netherlands) et al
Muscle Length Dependence of Optimal Stimulation Patterns
2000
First Prize
Schuettler Martin
(Freiburg, Germany)
18 polar Hybrid Cuff Electrodes for Stimulation of Peripheral Nerves