Dr. Lara A. Thompson is a trailblazing biomedical engineer and professor at the University of the District of Columbia, renowned for her pioneering research in postural control, rehabilitation technology, and assistive devices. As the founding director of UDC’s ABET-accredited Biomedical Engineering program—the first at an HBCU—her work bridges engineering and medicine, securing over $21.6M in research funding and earning national recognition, including the prestigious NSF Alan T. Waterman Award.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Master of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Chancellor’s List, Stanford University Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, University of Massachusetts
Roles
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 2023–Present Conceptualist & Principal Investigator: Specialized Technological, Center for Assistive Rehabilitation Research, 2020-Present Chairperson, Institutional Review Board (IRB), 2017-19 Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Tenured), 2017-23 Initiator & Director Center for Biomechanical & Rehabilitation, 2015-Present Initiator & Founding Director of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program, 2014-23
Courses Taught
BMEG 101 Survey of Biomedical Engineering BMEG 302 Professional Issues in Biomedical Engineering BMEG 235 Engineering Software and Programming Applications BMEG 405 Clinical and Research Exposure in Biomedical Engineering BMEG 301 Bioinstrumentation BMEG 492 Senior Capstone Design II BMEG 302 Biomedical Seminar BMEG 402 Imaging BMEG 304 Biomechanics BMEG 495 Special Topics in BME - Machine Learning in Medical Diagnoses BMEG 495 Special Topics in BME - Biomedical Imaging BMEG 371 Analysis of Physiological Systems BMEG 373 Analysis of Physiological Systems Laboratory BMEG 300 Bioinstrumentation Laboratory CVEN 308 Applied Numerical Analysis CVEN 201 Engineering Mechanics I CVEN 202 Engineering Mechanics II CCEN 101 Introduction to Engineering MECH 492 Senior Capstone Design II, Advisor for multiple Mechanical Engineering projects
Expertise
Extensive research and oversight of other UDC research projects
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Postural control and mobility; non-invasive and invasive prostheses; sensory substitutes; rehabilitative devices; the investigation of a social robotic utilizing novel audio-visual prompting, towards rehabilitation of childhood Apraxia of speech; virtual reality training to improve balance and reduce falls in older adults; human mobility and activity while robed in an EVA spacesuit; evaluating an extension-assist knee device; facilitating aging individuals’ living and learning preventative fall strategies; exploring walking muscle synergies in stroke survivors and healthy older adults pre- and post-robotic gait training; EEG feature extraction and machine learning to predict epilepsy in older adults
Leadership
Peer Reviers, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering, 2024 Grant Proposal Panel Reviewer, National Institutes of Health, 2024 Peer Reviewer, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2024 Peer Reviewer, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Peer Reviewer, 2022 Grant Proposal Panel Reviewer, National Institutes of Health, 2022
Impact
Selected Publications
Romero Melendez, R.A., & Thompson, L.A. (2024). Postural strategies used while donning a simulated xEMU spacesuit. Applied Sciences, 14(19), 8773. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198773
Wilson, O., Arnold, N., & Thompson, L.A. (2024). Investigating the effects of virtual reality-based training on balance ability and balance confidence in older individuals. Applied Sciences, 14(11), 4581. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114581
Thompson, L. A., Badache, M., Brusamolin, J. A. R., Savadkoohi, M., Guise, J., de Paiva, G. V., Suh, P., Sanchez Guerrero, P., & Shetty, D. (2021). Investigating relationships between balance confidence and balance ability in older adults. Journal of Aging Research, https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3214366
Savadkoohi, M., Oladunni, T., & Thompson, L. (2020). A machine learning approach to epileptic seizure prediction using Electroencephalogram (EEG) Signal. Biocybernetics and biomedical engineering, 40(3), 1328–1341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbe.2020.07.004
Selected Presentations
Thompson, L. A. (2024). Converging medicine and engineering: biomedical solutions.National Science Foundation Convergence Acclerator, Trach H, PI Meeting.
Thompson, L. A. (2023). National Institutes of Health National Institutes on Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Advisory Board.
Thompson, L. A. (2023). Keynote speaker. National Association for Academy of Sciences American Junior Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, Virtual.
Thompson, L. A. (2023). American Association for Anatomy Annual Meeting.
Thompson, L. A. (2022). Supporting engineering discovery research at primarily undergraduate settings: A faculty’s perspective on building new research infrastructure. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering Advisory Committee Fall 2022 Meeting.
Selected Grants
National Science Foundation. (2022). Alan T. Waterman awardee. National Institutes of Health. (2020). Creating a specialized technological center for assistive rehabilitation research at the University of the District of Columbia. National Institutes of Health. (2020). Advancing diversity in aging research through undergraduate education at the University of the District of Columbia.
Recognitions
Nominee, Blavatnik National Awards, 2023 Alan T. Waterman Award Laureate, National Science Foundation, 2022 Initiator and Founding Director of the first and only ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering program at an HBCU, 2021 BEYA STEM Innovator Award National Recognition, 2019 Diverse Issues in Higher Education Emerging Scholar National Award, 2017 Recipient of over $21.62 million of awarded grants
Invited Participations
Thompson, L. A. (2022). Biomedical engineering Initiatives tied to balance and postural control. George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
