Alex Mihailidis

Alex Mihailidis, Ph.D., P.Eng., is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehab Institute. He is also the Graduate Coordinator for the Clinical Engineering Program. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (U of T) and in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (U of T), with a cross appointment in the Department of Computer Science (U of T). He has been conducting research in the field of pervasive computing and intelligent systems in health for the past 15 years, having published over 150 journal papers, conference papers, and abstracts in this field. He has specifically focused on the development of intelligent home systems for elder care and wellness, technology for children with autism, and adaptive tools for nurses and clinical applications.

Alex currently holds several major research grants from internationally recognized funding agencies to support this work (including both the Canadian and American Alzheimer Associations, NSERC, and CIHR). He is also a CIHR New Investigator. His research has been completed through collaborations with other researchers in this field from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and with various industrial partners. Dr. Mihailidis has also co-edited two books: one from CRC Press entitled “Pervasive computing in healthcare”, and the other from IOS Press entitled “Technology and Aging”, which resulted from him being the conference chair for the 2nd International Conference on Technology and Aging. Dr. Mihailidis is also very active in the rehabilitation engineering profession, currently as the President for RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America).

Research Synopsis

My research interests lie within the intersections of gerontology, engineering, computer science, and healthcare. I have specifically been conducting research in the application of these principles to support older adults in their own environments and contexts. I have been developing and will continue to work on three primary research thrusts, each with their own specific projects: a) Supportive intelligent environments; b) Safe mobility and falls; and c) Health monitoring and response.

Recent Publications

1. Boger, J., Fenton, K., Craig, T. and Mihailidis, A. (2010). Using actors to develop technologies for older adults with dementia: A pilot study. Gerontechnology, 9(4), 431-444. [Senior Author]
2. Mihailidis, A., Blunsden, S., Boger, J., Richards, B., Zutis, K., Young, L. and Hoey, J. (2010). Towards the Development of a Technology for Art Therapy and Dementia: Definition of Needs and Design Constraints. The Journal of Arts in Psychotherapy, 37(4), 293-300. [Primary Author]
3. Young, V. and Mihailidis, A. (2010). Difficulties in automatic speech recognition of dysarthric speakers and the implications for speech-based applications used by the elderly: A literature review. Assistive Technology, 22(2), 99 – 112. [Senior Author]
4. Hoey, J., Poupart, P., Von Bertoldi, A., Craig, T., Boutilier, C., Mihailidis, A. (2010). Automated Handwashing Assistance For Persons With Dementia Using Video and A Partially Observable Markov Decision Process. Journal of Computer Vision and Image Understanding - Special Issue on Computer Vision Systems, 114(5), 503-519. [Senior Author]
5. Mihailidis, A. and Boger, J, (2009). How engineers are helping seniors with dementia stay at home. Journal of Policy Engagement, 1(4), 2-8. (Invited article) [Primary author].