When Paul Goncharow\u2019s (BKin \u201919, MSc \u201922, MBA \u201923) mother lost mobility during cancer treatment, he began to wonder how technology could help patients who couldn\u2019t easily travel to appointments with health-care professionals who provide rehabilitative care.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom\u2019s experience showed me there were moments when patients needed support beyond the clinic,\u201d he says. \u201cThat became the spark for building a platform that could help clinicians, like physiotherapists, stay connected with patients and help patients stay engaged in their recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several years later, Goncharow and fellow Brock University graduate Vincent Iantomasi (MSc \u201922, MBA \u201923) went on to found Kactis.AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform rooted in Brock University research that is helping clinicians streamline rehabilitation while providing students hands-on experience with emerging technology.<\/p>\n
The platform uses computer vision and AI to support rehabilitation professionals through movement assessment, documentation, patent monitoring and exercise prescription during and between appointments.<\/p>\n
As they grow the platform, and their company, Iantomasi and Goncharow are committed to centring the needs of health-care professionals and their patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe professionals using it every day should help decide what gets built next,\u201d Goncharow says.<\/p>\n
That philosophy recently brought the platform back to Brock this spring, when Kactis.AI provided the University\u2019s recently launched<\/a> Master of Athletic Therapy program<\/a> with access to the platform. Students and instructors in the program will provide feedback on their experience.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth care is changing rapidly, and our students need to be ready for that reality. Integrating emerging technologies like\u00a0Kactis.AI\u00a0into the Master of Athletic Therapy program helps bridge classroom learning with contemporary clinical practice,\u201d says Associate Professor of Kinesiology Nicole Chimera, Director of the Master of Athletic Therapy program.<\/p>\n As well as translating research into impact and giving students opportunities to engage with emerging health-care technology, the partnership reflects Kactis.AI\u2019s deep roots at Brock.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything about Kactis.AI traces back to the University,\u201d says Goncharow. \u201cThe research the mentorship, the connections and the opportunities all started here. Bringing the platform back to help educate future clinicians feels like the story coming full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n