Join us for an engaging conversation with Dr. Elaine Biddiss, a pioneering biomedical engineer from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, whose groundbreaking work blends playful technology with serious rehabilitation for children and youth. Discover how interactive games, smart sensors, and creative design are transforming therapy into moments of joy, motivation, and meaningful progress. Don’t miss this episode from ALYN Hospital’s Pediatric & Adolescent Rehabilitation Research Center — where we explore how innovation and imagination are shaping the future of pediatric rehab.

Guest: Dr. Elaine Biddiss is a senior scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, and holds the Bloorview Children’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation. She leads the Possibility Engineering and Research Lab (PEARL Lab), where she develops innovative, affordable technologies—such as therapeutic video games and interactive installations—to enhance therapy, learning, and play for children with disabilities. An associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Biddiss is recognized for her interdisciplinary approach that combines engineering, design, and clinical insight to make rehabilitation more engaging and accessible. Her work has earned multiple awards, including the 2023 Minister’s Award of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

Interviewer: Prof. Tamar Weiss, PhD, OT, Executive Research Advisor, Helmsley Pediatric & Adolescent Rehabilitation Research Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Professor emeritus, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel 

Moderator: Dr. Naomi Gefen, Ph.D, OT, Deputy-Director, ALYN Hospital; PI, Helmsley Pediatric & Adolescent Rehabilitation Research Center, Jerusalem, Israel