Partner Spotlight: Prof. Dr. Olivier Lambercy
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Our PROMOT partners are driving innovation by bringing together expertise from across disciplines to transform how we understand and measure rare neuromuscular diseases. In this spotlight, we feature Prof. Dr. Olivier Lambercy, whose work in rehabilitation engineering is helping shape the future of digital health within the project.
Dr. Lambercy is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Technology at ETH Zurich and co-director of the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (RELab).
With a background in biomedical engineering and a PhD from the National University of Singapore, he has dedicated his career to developing cutting-edge technologies that enhance the assessment and rehabilitation of individuals with neurological impairments.
His research focuses on creating tools that objectively measure movement and function—bridging the gap between clinical observation and precise, data-driven insights. Under his leadership, RELab has become a key contributor to advancing digital health solutions in both research and clinical settings.
Within PROMOT, Dr. Lambercy, alongside his colleague Nadine Domnik, leads efforts focused on identifying and validating outcome measures for clinical trials and natural history studies. Central to this work is the Virtual Peg Insertion Test (VPIT)—a technology-driven assessment tool designed to evaluate upper-limb function. Using a virtual reality environment that integrates visual, auditory, and haptic feedback in the context of a goal-directed task, the VPIT captures detailed movement and force data, offering an objective and sensitive measure of motor function.
Unlike traditional assessments, the VPIT allows researchers and clinicians to quantify subtle aspects of movement, including smoothness, coordination, and grip force control. This high-resolution approach has the potential to significantly enhance how neuromuscular diseases are monitored and understood. Ongoing efforts are focused on evaluating the feasibility of the VPIT in children and individuals with neuromuscular conditions, with a study currently underway at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona. Early progress has been encouraging, with successful pilot testing completed and participant recruitment now in progress.
As PROMOT continues to evolve, Dr. Lambercy’s work underscores the transformative potential of digital health technologies in rare disease research.
By combining engineering innovation with clinical relevance, his contributions are helping pave the way for more precise, data-driven approaches to understanding and treating neuromuscular disorders.
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