Inga Wang

Inga Wang, Ph.D., OTR/L, is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). She serves as Program Director for the Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Coordinator for the Assistive Technology and Accessible Design (ATAD) Certificate program, with her research laboratory housed within UWM's Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability (R2D2) Center.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Florida
• MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University
• MS in Statistics from Texas A&M University
• BS in Occupational Therapy from National Taiwan University

Dr. Wang's research centers on Robotic-Assisted Stroke Rehabilitation and Aging Research with Machine Learning applications. Her work integrates engineering and rehabilitation science to develop upper limb robotic therapies for neurological disorders, incorporating Azure cloud computing, Digital Twin technology, and HoloLens for remote therapist-patient interaction. In aging research, she applies predictive modeling to establish normative data, detect biomarkers, and identify risk factors across the lifespan, with specific projects on frailty indices using electronic health records and the iNeck risk assessment model for tech-related neck pain.

Her recent publications demonstrate expertise in developing clinical assessment tools using machine learning, analyzing aging biomarkers across populations, and advancing robotic rehabilitation technologies. Key trends include the integration of virtual reality with brain-computer interfaces for motor imagery training, optimization of outcome measures for stroke and musculoskeletal conditions, and exploration of health disparities in pain and cardiovascular metrics.

Dr. Wang actively secures significant research funding, currently leading projects including NIDILRR's $1.5M grant for Multifunctional Robotic Assistive Arm (mR2A) development (2020-2023) and the $1M NIDILRR translation grant (2023-2028) for implementing robotic assistive technology in daily living assistance. Her funded work spans NIH, NIDILRR, and institutional grants focused on stroke rehabilitation robotics, quantitative spasticity measurement, and virtual reality vocational assessment.

She directs the Aging and Stroke Rehabilitation Laboratory within UWM's BioRobotics Laboratory ecosystem and leads the ATAD Graduate Certificate program, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between rehabilitation clinicians, engineers, and computer scientists to develop cost-effective telerehabilitation solutions.