MEMS Seminar: Ann Majewicz Fey, “Towards More Human-Aware Robotic Systems for Surgical Training and Intervention”

Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Fall 2024 Seminar Series, welcomes Ann Majewicz Fey, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, at The University of Texas at Austin, who will present a lecture entitled, “Towards More Human-Aware Robotic Systems for Surgical Training and Intervention.”
ABSTRACT: Human-generated, preventable errors, particularly those made intra-operatively, can lead to morbidity and mortality for the patient, poor training outcomes for residents, and high costs for the hospital. This talk will describe some novel hardware, haptic systems, and algorithms that could potentially be used to enhance surgical training, as well as improve intra-operative manipulation of tissue. Data-driven methods to predict, in real-time, surgical skill, surgical style, and bimanual coordination, will be presented along with new systems that could be used to assist with surgical intervention or training in a variety of domains.
Ann Majewicz Fey completed B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of St. Thomas, the M.S.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. Dr. Majewicz Fey joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin as an Associate Professor in August 2020, where she directs the Human-Enabled Robotic Technology Laboratory. She holds at courtesy appointment in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and at the Dell Medical School. Her research interests focus on the interface between humans and robotic systems, with an emphasis on improving the delivery of surgical and interventional care, both for the patient and the provider.
Host: Siobhan Oca