Jacob Reichbart, Research Director

Jacob is focused on orthopaedic and assistive devices that are comfortable, effective and easy to use — a dedication to working with children spanning some 30 years. He guides Braceworks research and product development effort, supporting clinicians and designers to build products that fit.

He worked in the Canadian research establishment for over 10 years, advancing imaging, testing and simulation in manufacturing, science and the arts. He continues to advocate rigorous design methods and user-centred design as the foundation of great products and sound business practice.

He’s an avid participant in Biomedical Engineering block weeks at the University of Calgary and taught design and human factors in the School of Architecture, University of Manitoba. He was an adjunct in the Industrial Design Dept, Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary and supported post-graduate research projects in his computer graphics labs at the Alberta Research Council and Manitoba Research Council.

He was a co-founder of the Advanced Technologies Dept at the Alberta Research Council and headed the Design Automation Lab and led special projects there. Jacob founded the Computer-aided Engineering labs and led projects at the Industrial Technology Centre, Manitoba Research Council and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, Dept of Electrical Engineering, National Research Council of Canada. He was an active member of the ACM Special Interest Group in Computer Graphics, IEEE Computer Graphics Society and The Human Factors Society. In Alberta, he was a member of the WestLink Innovation Network Industry Advisory Board for Medical Devices.

Post-graduate work in Industrial Design, Human Factors Engineering and Design Methods was conducted at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Undergraduate study was conducted at the School of Architecture, University of Manitoba and the Product Design Dept, Glasgow School of Art.