Dr. David M. Brienza is currently a Professor within the Department of Bioengineering and the School of Health and Rehab Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Director for the Center of Telerehabilitation in the Rehabilitation Engineering Research and is an Associate Professor for the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In addition, Dr. Brienza holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University in the School of Lift Sciences in Xi’an, China.
Dr. David Brienza received his Ph.D in 1991 at the University of Virginia in Electrical Engineering. Before starting at the University of Pittsburgh as an Assistant Professor 1991, Dr. Brienza was a Research Assistant at the University of Virginia in the Rehabilitation Engineering Center.
Dr. Brienza has been working in the field of pressure ulcer prevention and seat cushion design for more than 10 years. His pressure ulcer related research is focused on prevention, soft tissue mechanics, support surface and seat cushion development, and clinical efficacy of support surface and seat cushion interventions. He has made significant contributions in the areas of cushion design and soft tissue biomechanicsm, including having a major role in the development of custom seating technology now marketed by PinDot by Invacare. He is also involved in the design and development of wheelchair technology and support surface standards development and has been featured in several recent publications due to his research. Currently, he is a consultant for several companies developing seat cushions and actively pursuing further advances in his field.
Dr. Brienza's research and development experience includes Principal Investigator of NIH R01, NIH SBIR and PVA grants, task leader for NIDRR RERC research and development tasks, and project director for other research and development projects. Dr. Brienza is a member of the RESNA special interest group on seating and mobility, which includes more than 500 members, and is a RESNA representative to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP). He was also co-chair of the research committee within the NPUAP and sits on the editorial boards of Advances in Skin and Wound Care and Assistive Technology. Dr. Brienza is also Chair of the SHRS Space Utilization Committee.
CONTACT INFORMATION
David M. Brienza, Ph.D.Phone: (412) 383-6591
Email: DBrienza@pitt.edu