Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury

Dr Henrik Gollee

My research interests are in the use of control engineering methods to understand how humans control their movements, how they learn, and how they adapt to changing conditions. I am particularly interested in using this understanding to develop assistive and rehabilitation methods for people with neurological impairments.

In order to explain fundamental aspects of human movement control, such as variability, adaptation and the ability to learn, I am using an intermittent control approach. An ongoing collaboration within the project Intermittent Control in Man and Machine (ICMM) includes partners at Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Melbourne and the Technical University of Delft.

This fundamental research is motivated by my interest in using control methods to develop assistive systems for the rehabilitation of people with neurological impairment, such as spinal cord injury. I have been working in assistive systems for paraplegic standing, cycling and walking, supported by neuromuscular stimulation (functional electrical stimulation). Recent clinical research has been focused on respiratory assistance systems for people with tetraplegia, using abdominal muscle stimulation to support breathing and assist weaning from mechanical ventilation. My clinical work is carried out as part of the activities of the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury, in collaboration with the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

I graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University Berlin, Germany in 1995, and received a PhD in Systems and Control from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1998. Between 1998 and 2000 I worked in vehicle dynamics control with the Advanced Development division of Mercedes Benz, Stuttgart. Since 2001 I have been a faculty member in Control and Rehabilitation Engineering in the Biomedical Engineering Research Division at the School of Engineering at Glasgow.

I have received a Marie-Curie Research Fellowship in 2000-2001, and a Senior Leverhulm Trust / Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship in 2009-10.

Team: Dr Jennifer Miller

Publications: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=J5woUwsAAAAJ

Research Projects:

• Abdominal Functional Electrical Stimulation to reduce respiratory complications in spinal cord in acute tetraplegia