Wearable Kidney: Revolutionizing Kidney Failure | Amira Abdelrasoul | TEDxUniversityofSaskatchewan

Hemodialysis is not a perfect replacement for healthy kidneys and here’s why…
Not all kidney failure patients are able to receive an organ transplant, which means the alternative is to be placed on hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for kidney failure patients that cleans and filters their blood of waste products, salts, and excess fluid. However, this membrane-based therapy does not exactly replicate the function of a healthy kidney. Many acute and chronic complications occur from this treatment and my job as a membrane researcher is to create hemodialysis membranes that are more compatible with the human body than the membranes used in hospitals today. My long-term aim is to create a wearable design. Raising awareness about the importance of maintaining kidney function is needed so the critical stages of kidney disease can be avoided. Amira Abdelrasoul, PhD, P. Eng. is an Associate Professor in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department and the Division of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. She is a membrane technology leader in Canada, and her interdisciplinary research program focuses on solving the existing hemodialysis system problems to decrease the unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rates and increase the quality of life of kidney failure patients. Outstanding academic honours and recent excellence awards from North American institutions, including Governor General Academic Gold Medal and Norman Esch Engineering Innovation Award have recognized her scholarly and research excellence. In 2022, Dr. Abdelrasoul was the recipient of the 2021 Young Investigator Excellence Award from the Canadian Light Source (CLS), in addition, she has been recognized by the Chemical Engineering Research & Design Journal as 1 of 18 outstanding women researchers across the globe. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

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I am a dialysis patient in Calgary. Waiting for a transplant, hopeful of the new scientific advancements.
Support science, donate organs! We can make a brighter future!