The Research and Development Team

Gary Birch,
O.C., Ph.D., P.Eng.

Gary Birch was appointed Director of Research and Development at the Neil Squire Society in August 1988 and then in May 1994 was appointed Executive Director. He is responsible for the on-going operations at the Neil Squire Society including the supervision of a Research and Development team; the preparation of contract proposals and budgets for government sponsored service delivery and research and development projects; negotiating collaborative research and development projects with private sector companies, the future direction and development of the Neil Squire Society and is involved in the process of transferring research and development projects ready for commercial manufacturing.

Gary earned his B.A. Sc. in Electrical Engineering in 1983, and in 1988 received a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering (Biomedical Signal Processing), both from the University of British Columbia. His specific areas of expertise are robotic control systems, EEG signal processing, digital signal processing, human-machine interface systems, and biological systems.

His recent and current professional contributions include: Adjunct Professor at UBC, Department of Electrical Engineering since July 1989; Adjunct Professor, SFU, Gerontology Research Program since July 1990; Chair of the Minister's National Advisory Committee for Industry Canada on Assistive Devices since 1996; Member, Reference Group for the Federal Task Force on Disabilities Issues, 1996- present; Chair of the Research Advisory and Review Committee for G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre, 1998- present.

Harry Lew,
P.Eng.

Harry Lew joined the Neil Squire Research and Development Group in 1985 as an Electrical Engineer. He has over 20 years of experience in developing products for the unique needs of persons with disabilities. His areas of expertise are electronic hardware design, firmware development, windows application programming, and human-machine interfaces. Areas of interest include digital signal processing, speech recognition, alternative access methods for computers and other consumer appliances, product regulatory compliance, and product technical transfer. He is currently the Manager of Research and Development and is responsible for the project scheduling, manpower allocation, budgeting, research and development proposal writing, and the development of new research and product initiatives.

Harry earned his Bachelors of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in 1985. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geo-Scientist of British Columbia.

Dan Leland,
Electromechanical Technologist

Dan Leland is a prototype development specialist for the Neil Squire Society's R&D division located at BCIT's CREATE Lab. He is an expert in mechanical and electronic design, software and firmware development, metal machining, compliance testing and technical documentation and has 18 years of experience developing assistive technologies. Dan has worked on a variety of research projects involving robotic systems, human-machine interfaces, home environmental controls, computer peripherals, communication devices and mechanical fixtures. In 1992 he worked with NASA engineers to redesign a medical device for flight aboard one of the Space Shuttle's IML (International MicroGravity Lab) Missions. Dan also received an award in 1998 when he submitted his design of a small inexpensive home control device that can be mounted to a wheelchair, to the International Electronic Design Competition sponsored by Circuit Cellar/Microchip Technology Inc.


Jaimie Borisoff, Ph.D, Senior Research Engineer

Jaimie is currently a Senior Research Engineer in the Brain Interface Lab at the Neil Squire Society and the President of Instinct Mobility Inc., manufacturers of "elevationTM" - a new ultra-light wheelchair design that provides real-time seat adjustments that improve the daily mobility and function of wheelchair users.

His Brain Interface research interests combine neuroscience and engineering technology to improve the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury. He is currently designing and testing a novel technology that aims to restore functional sensations lost after spinal cord injury. This work is performed in collaboration with Dr. Stacy Elliott, a sexual health researcher with ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries).

Jaimie received the B.A.Sc. degree in Engineering Physics (Electrical Engineering option) in 1994 and the Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience in 2002 from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Graduate Students

Ali Bashashati, PhD Candidate
Angela Chuang, Master's Candidate
Mehrdad Fatourechi, PhD Candidate
Gordon Handford, Master's Candidate
Borna Noureddin, PhD Candidate
Xin Yi Yong, PhD Candidate

Advisors and Consultants

James Watzke, Ph.D. - Project Leader, Living Lab (BCIT)

Academic and Industrial Partners

Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Technology that Enables (CREATE)
University of British Columbia (UBC)
Simon Fraser University (SFU)
British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
Capilano College (CC)
Compusult Ltd.
Vancouver Hospital
G.F Strong Rehabilitation Centre