Mi-KICKSTART Funding Received for Kinesthetic Environments

Sean Ahlquist has received the FFMI (Fast Forward Medical Innovation) Mi-Kickstart Award for the project: "Kinesthetic Environment for Sensory Regulation, Engaged Learning, and Social Interaction." Collaborators on the project include Costanza Colombi, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan - Department of Psychiatry, and Upali Nanda, Associate Principal and Director of Research at HKS Architects.

The project seeks to develop, implement and test a new SensoryPlayscape prototype as part of a special needs classroom at Lane Tech High School in Chicago. The pilot study will measure the prototype's effectiveness as a tool for emotional and behavioral regulation for up to 80 students with a wide range of disabilities and special needs, including but not exclusive to autism spectrum disorder.

Mi-Kickstart Awards, made possible by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, MTRAC for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, the William Davidson Foundation, the U-M Medical School Office of Research, and the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research, Mi-Kickstart Awards offer early-stage funding to biomedical researchers across the state of Michigan. This award is aimed to enhance the commercial potential of a technology owned by any Michigan-based non-profit to the point of demonstration of utility and possible inclusion in Mi-TRAC for Life Sciences or other research funding programs.