Allison Okamura

Department: Mechanical Engineering

Stroke recovery in Hispanic and Latinx communities: In 2020, stroke was the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States. Hispanic communities have higher stroke incidence rates and worse stroke recovery outcomes than non-Hispanic whites, especially in their prime earning years. From 2005 to 2050, the total cost of stroke is projected to be $313 billion for Hispanics, with the majority coming from lost earnings. Professor Okamura will work with Hispanic and Latinx stroke survivors and medical care providers to design and make accessible, low-cost, and culturally-appropriate stroke recovery devices.