#GRADimpact: Christian Mele's research centres around pressure ulcers and skin injuries in rehabilitation and long-term care settings

Meet Christian Mele, a first year Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering MASc student at the University of Waterloo whose research centers around pressure ulcers and skin injuries in rehabilitation and long-term care settings. With large amounts of the population aging into long term care settings, and mobility impairments continuing to occur, Christian wondered if exoskeletons would fit into that gap. “One of the issues I noticed, across multiple rehab devices, is skin injury was common among participants, and I wanted to see out why that was happening, where those sources are, and if we can predict when they would occur to stop them from happening. I’m interested in continuing research into creating new wearable sensor platforms for individuals to ensure that safety is available to everyone, including those who cannot verbalize or advocate for themselves in the same way able-bodied people can. I’m hoping that my graduate degree will help me either connect with people who are like-minded or offer me the opportunity to pursue a PhD with individuals who are interested in researching similar fields. " How can a graduate degree transform your career?

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