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Mahdi Tavakoli, PhD, PEng, SMIEEE
Professor & Senior University of Alberta Engineering
Research Chair in Healthcare Robotics
Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
Biomedical Engineering Department
University of Alberta
Co-Director
Mechatronics & Robotics Co-op Program
Director
Telerobotic and Biorobotic Systems Group
Healthy Communities Project Co-Leader
Autonomous Systems Initiative
Scientific Vice-Director
Institute for Smart Augmentative and Restorative Technologies (iSMART)
Specialty Chief Editor
Frontiers in Robotics and AI (Robot Design Section)
Associate Editor
International Journal of Robotics Research
IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics
IEEE TMECH/AIM Emerging Topics Focused Section
Journal of Medical Robotics Research
Research Interests
- Robotics and Telerobotics
- Haptics and Teleoperation Control
- Surgical and Rehabilitation Robotics
- Image-Guided Surgery
Current Research Projects
- Robotic systems for image-guided surgeries for precision in prostate and breast cancer treatments.
- Semi-autonomous ultrasound imaging for consistent, high-quality imaging.
- Machine learning-based surgical skill assessment and transfer for training of novice clinicians.
- Reinforcement learning methods for surgical autonomy in soft tissue operations.
- Augmented reality and haptic virtual fixtures for safer, more efficient surgeries.
- Robotic and haptic telerobotic systems for post-disability rehabilitation and telerehabilitation.
- Adaptive exoskeletons and wearable robotics for personalized support, injury prevention, and real-time gait monitoring.
- Investigating human task performance and human-robot interaction to optimize design, safety, and workflow integration.
- Large language model-powered decision support for surgical planning, intraoperative guidance, and decision-making.
- Machine intelligence solutions that help clinicians and robots collaborate to improve patient care and outcomes.