Hugh Herr, who heads the Biomechatronics group at the MIT Media Lab, is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs. In 2011, TIME magazine coined him the “Leader of the Bionic Age” because of his revolutionary work in the emerging field of biomechatronics – technology that marries human physiology with electromechanics. A double amputee himself, Herr is responsible for breakthrough advances in bionic limbs that provide greater mobility and new hope to those with physical disabilities. He is the author and co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and patents, chronicling the science and technology behind his many innovations. These publications span the scientific fields of biomechanics and biological motion control, as well as the technological innovations of human rehabilitation and augmentation technologies. As published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation in 2014, Herr’s team advanced the first autonomous exoskeleton to reduce the metabolic cost of human walking, a goal that has eluded scientists for over a century.

In the field of human rehabilitation, Herr’s Biomechatronics group has developed gait-adaptive knee prostheses for transfemoral amputees and variable impedance ankle-foot orthoses for patients suffering from drop foot, a gait pathology caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. He has also designed his own bionic limbs, the world’s first bionic lower leg called the BiOM Ankle System. As published in the 2012 Proceedings of the Royal Society, the BiOM Ankle System has been clinically shown to be the first leg prosthesis to achieve biomechanical and physiological normalization, allowing persons with leg amputation to walk with normal levels of speed and metabolism as if their legs were biological once again. Herr has received many accolades for his groundbreaking innovations, including the 13th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment; the Prince Salman Award for Disability Research; the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Technology; the 14th Innovator of the Year Award; the 41st Inventor of the Year Award; and the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research. Herr’s story has been told in a National Geographic film, “Ascent: The Story of Hugh Herr.” He has also been featured on CNN and other broadcasters and in many press articles, including The Economist, Discover, and Nature.

When, at age 15, John-Ross “J.R.” Rizzo, M.D., was diagnosed with choroideremia, the progressive and incurable condition that is stealing his eyesight, his first reaction was that he’d never be able to date. “I’m like, I’m not going to ever be able to take a girl on a date,” the New York University physician said. “I’m going to have to have my mom drop me off in a minivan behind the movie theater.” Seventeen years later, and with 90% of his vision gone, teenage angst has turned into driving determination. Inspired by his anesthesiologist grandfather—and his intimate knowledge of the challenges of being visually impaired — Dr. Rizzo is a man in a hurry, bent on finding ways to improve the lives of the disabled. His startup, Tactile Navigation Tools, is applying technology to visual impairment, an area that has lacked innovation for a century. In development are the Cumba Cane, a three-pronged, wheeled cane, and the Eyeronman, a sensor-equipped vest for use by the visually impaired, as well as by police and military personnel in dicey situations.

A clinical instructor at NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Rizzo directs the Visuomotor Laboratory at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, where he does research on motor recovery and eye-hand coordination after brain injuries. “His ability to think outside the box is truly incredible,” said Dr. Stephen Flanagan, chair of NYU’s department of rehabilitation. Dr. Rizzo also is using that talent as medical adviser to two other startups, including one with technology to diagnose and treat disabilities. “I want to be able to take people with weaknesses and strengthen their sensory systems, give them back their abilities so they’re on the same level as anyone else,” Dr. Rizzo said. “Life is about how to leverage your ability to do your best.” Dr. Rizzo believes that the advanced wearable technology his team has developed, as well as his advanced STEM research into motor recovery and eye-hand coordination stemming from brain trauma, can and will dramatically alleviate the symptoms of combat-induced eye trauma injuries resulting from various concussive events and improvised explosive devices.

Douglas H. Smith, M.D. is the Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair and Professor of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Penn’s multidisciplined CBIR includes over twenty-five principal investigators and their laboratory staff collectively studying mechanisms, diagnosis and potential treatments of traumatic brain injury. Over the last 18 years, Dr. Smith has devoted his full-time efforts to neurotrauma research following completion of fellowships in both molecular biology and neurotrauma at the University of Connecticut. He has been an active member of the National Neurotrauma Society and currently serves as an officer.

In addition, Dr. Smith is director of a multi-center NIH program grant on mild traumatic brain injury and he oversees an NIH training grant for brain injury research. His laboratory’s research interests include investigating the biomechanical effects of traumatic brain injury, imaging techniques to diagnose diffuse axonal injury, and the link between diffuse axonal injury and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Smith’s laboratory has also engineered nervous tissue constructs that have been shown to repair spinal cord and nerve damage. These collective efforts have resulted in over 170 published reports. Dr. Smith believes that combat trauma sustained in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, from Traumatic Brain Injury to Post-Traumatic Stress, can be successfully mitigated and healed though advanced neuroengineering research, development, and appropriate application.

Gerry is PMC’s Vice Chairman, guiding business initiatives across PMC’s entire portfolio of media brands. Gerry’s decades of accomplishments as a media executive, entrepreneur and community leader are highlighted by a longtime run as publisher of Variety, where he dramatically transformed that business into a powerful, diversified, global media brand. In addition, he was the first publisher of both Electronic Media and Crain’s New York Business. Gerry also led a division of Nielsen that included The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, and ADWeek.

A staunch believer in “participation”, Gerry is on the boards of numerous not-for-profits including Fisher House, The Intrepid Museum, VeteransAdvantage, The Veteran’s Healing Initiative, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research, The Creative Coalition, The Reisenbach Foundation (Chairman), The Armory Foundation and The New York City Police Museum. Gerry was awarded the “Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award”, New York’s Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center’s 2002 Distinguished Service Award and the NYPD Marine Corps Association 2002 “Semper Fi” Award for his work in the community. In June 2009, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Gerry with the “Made in New York” Award for his support of the Gotham’s entertainment and media industries.

A 1966 graduate of Fordham College, Gerry served as a Marine Officer in Vietnam in 1968/69 and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V.

Burke is an accomplished actor, starring in many films and TV shows, from playing Robocop in Robocop 3 and Limitless with Bradley Copper to Law and Order: SVU and Gossip Girl. Bobby is also an active firefighter on Ocean Beach in Long Island, NY and a dedicated family man. Bobby has been an avid supporter of VEThack and our concerted efforts to end the veteran suicide epidemic in this nation.

Kelly is an accomplished actor who has starred in many films and TV shows, from American Sniper with Bradley Cooper to Law and Order: SVU. He also played the iconic Lt. Col. “Godfather” Ferrando in the HBO Mini-Series, Generation Kill. Chance has been a great supporter of our efforts to end veteran suicide by using STEM research to fully the heal the wounds of war.