Lecturer: Lara Wilkin
Fields: Research – Upper Limb Prosthetics, Professional Peer Counselor, Creative Background
Content
Growing beyond oneself as an expert in one\’s own field and looking beyond the familiar horizon is often initially overlooked until one\’s competence is proven. Research is interdisciplinary, and who, if not the users themselves, possesses the in-depth knowledge of everyday requirements and challenges?
By combining a natural-scientific and technical affinity with a creative background, Lara Wilkin is engaged both in research and through her voluntary work and networks to pave new ways, raise awareness, and advocate for those affected. Her journey spans from being a creative user and professional peer worker to becoming a researcher in the field of upper limb prosthetics.
Lecturer
Lara Wilkin – Academic and Professional Background Ms. Lara Wilkin possesses a comprehensive interdisciplinary expertise in the fields of upper limb prosthetics and design, which is complemented by her academic career, professional experience, and extensive further education and training. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Upper Limb Prosthetics at Bauhaus University (since 2024). Her professional career includes positions in various institutions and companies, including her work at Saphenus Medical Technology (2023–2025). Additionally, she completed advanced courses in rehabilitation technology, prosthetics, and biomedical engineering at TU Wien (2023–2024). Since 2021, Ms. Wilkin has been actively engaged as a volunteer prosthesis usage trainer for all hand prosthesis models and works as a workshop leader and speaker, addressing medical associations and prosthetic care professionals in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, as well as presenting at the World Congress of OTWorld. In the field of advocacy and voluntary work, she assumed the role of Germany’s first official representative for upper limb amputations at the Federal Association for People with Arm or Leg Amputations (BMAB) in July 2022. From November 2023 to September 2024, she also served as Vice Chair of LVamp NRW e.V. Prior to that, she was a board member of the State Association for People with Arm or Leg Amputations NRW e.V. from February 2022 to November 2023. Ms. Wilkin is a functional bilateral upper limb amputee, having undergone a transradial amputation in 2019 and experiencing another accident in February 2022. Her personal experience allows her to integrate both scientific and technological perspectives into her work. Her dedication to prosthetics is reflected in the founding of the Arm Prosthesis Community (2021), where she serves as an expert, consultant, and network partner. Since 2020, she has worked as a research assistant in the field of information technology, where her activities deepened her interest in biomedical engineering, biomedical information technology, and robotics. Additionally, since 2020, she has been officially trained in peer counseling for amputees and has been active both nationally and internationally, advising patients, medical professionals, and relatives on amputation-related topics. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts (2014), followed by a Master of Arts (2020). Since 2014, she has also worked as a freelance communication designer, collaborating with esteemed clients such as FH Dortmund (including projects for NASA/JPL), the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers e.V., Adobe, Schweppes, Nescafé, and other major companies. Her creative work has earned multiple international awards, with exhibitions and competition wins in Italy, the USA, and China. In recognition of her scientific and practical expertise, she has become a member of leading international and national professional associations, including: * ISPO – International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (Germany e.V.) * BMAB – Federal Association for People with Arm or Leg Amputations e.V. * LVamp NRW – State Association for People with Arm or Leg Amputations e.V. * Arm Prosthesis Community * World Design Consortium * IDC – International Design Club * IAD – International Association of Designers * ICCI – International Council of Creative Industries * ISPM – International Society of Product Manufacturers * IBSP – International Bureau of Service Providers * AIBA – Alliance of International Business Associations Through her continuous education, including participation in specialized congresses and training sessions, such as the 2nd Amputation Course at the University Hospital Hamburg for Surgeons, where osseointegration and various amputation techniques were tested on body donor, as well as international world and annual congresses (ISPO, BMAB, etc.), Ms. Wilkin has expanded her global network. Her interdisciplinary background, which combines creative expertise, hands-on technical knowledge, personal experience, and scientific proficiency, makes her one of the very few experts worldwide who can evaluate all commercially available hand prosthesis models both through personal testing as a user and from a scientific perspective.
Affiliation: Lara
Homepage: www.linkedin.com/in/larawilkin