2024 Children's of Alabama/UAB Annual Report

Growth & Technology

“ Should this project be successful, it could open up a means for employment for youth with disabilities, when the project is delivered on a national scale.”

“Should this project be successful, it could open up a means for employment for youth with disabilities, when the project is delivered on a national scale,” Lai said. “This project is also the first collaborative project with the community by the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at UAB and Children’s of Alabama, which could open doors for further projects and services.”

– Byron Lai, Ph.D.

This project was funded by both the Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Forge AHEAD

Center, which is a regional comprehensive research center dedicated to advancing the prevention and management of cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and hypertension, which disproportionately affect communities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. CEDHARS was established in 2019 with a mission to perform cutting-edge inclusion science research, train future students and researchers, and develop novel approaches to promoting the health and well-being of children, adults and seniors with disabilities. Lai and the division team are currently working on two other exciting extended reality projects. One study aims to develop a protocol for improving the physical and mental health of pediatric cancer rehabilitation patients, which was funded by the highly prestigious Kaul Pediatric Research Grant of the UAB Department of Pediatrics. Another study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is confirming whether an aerobic extended reality exercise program can improve blood-related health among children with cerebral palsy. Lai is awaiting review of a large grant that will improve the mental health of children with disabilities through online peer-networking and mindfulness meditative practices.

2024 Academic Annual Report

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