Adam Bleakney, a research affiliate in the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services and the head coach of the UIUC Wheelchair Track and Road-racing team, accepted a research affiliate appointment at the Beckman Institute.

Adam Bleakney, a research affiliate in the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services and the head coach of the UIUC Wheelchair Track and Road-racing team, accepted a research affiliate appointment at the Beckman Institute. He is part of the Cognition, Lifespan Engagement, Aging, and Resilience Working Group in the Intelligent Systems Research Theme.

Bleakney currently leads the Human Performance and Mobility Maker Lab within DRES, where he conducts research related to assistive technology and devices for individuals with disabilities as well as research related to human performance, specifically for athletes with disabilities.

At the Beckman Institute, he will collaborate with Deana McDonagh, a professor of art and design and the 2022 Beckman Institute Vision and Spirit Award winner, in the research, development, and testing of novel and improved technologies, strategies and techniques to facilitate increased participation in daily activities leading to improved quality of life for individuals with disabilities. They will work collaboratively to establish an empathetic design studio to support both the Human Performance and Mobility Maker Lab and the Beckman community.