16 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN atric and adolescent athletes. Most devices on the market today are geared toward adults because when a device is being developed, it is easier to get enrollment and consent from adult participants, Seshadri explained. There’s a significant need for a pediatric device, especially because young athletes today are training harder, playing longer hours and suffering more injuries. There’s been an epidemic of “Tommy John” injuries among youth baseball players, Seshadri said. Named after the retired pitcher who played Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1989, John injured his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and became the first person to undergo a UCL reconstruction surgery. Seshadri’s lab is also leading a study using wearable technology on pediatric and adolescent female softball pitchers in the Indianapolis area. He is interested in monitoring the participants’ workload with the goal of using scientific data to drive policies that will help reduce injury. Seshadri’s team also plans to work with students at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. The facility is an international boarding school for high school and postgraduate elite athletes. In addition to the athletic angle, Seshadri believes wearable tech could be used for noninvasive monitoring of individuals with serious conditions such as congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, dysphasia and neuromuscular disease to provide immediate feedback on muscle quality, function and tone, and help guide rehabilitation. A Personal Connection Seshadri, who played a variety of sports when he was growing up, says he has always been interested in the convergence of human performance, sports and technology. “The opportunity to look at technology with something I love—like sports—to integrate the two together was something I stumbled upon in a serendipitous manner, but it’s really something I enjoy. It’s my passion,” he said. Seshadri recalls taking a class on biomedical entrepreneurship (BioDesign) while earning his master’s degree at Case Western. One day, the class began talking about “I’m collaborating with sports medicine, we are working with our sports performance coach, a sports psychologist and nutritionist. It’s very holistic in the sense that decisions aren’t being made in a vacuum.” —WOMEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH LAUREN CALABRESE ’07
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==