Professor Gupta Receives  a $100,000 Funding for the Development of a Mixed Reality Simulator for Neonatal Needle Thoracentesis Procedure

The Grainger College of Engineering’s Jump ARCHES Research Program has awarded $100,000 for the first phase of developing a mixed reality simulator for neonatal needle thoracentesis. The project is led by Avinash Gupta, a teaching assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with Nicole Rau, an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria and a clinical neonatologist at OSF/Children’s Hospital of Illinois, along with Muhammad Jawad Javed, the Neonatology Fellowship Program Director and Medical Director Professor of Clinical Pediatrics.

Established in 2014, the Jump Applied Research in Community Health through Engineering and Simulation (ARCHES) Research Program is a partnership between Jump Simulation and Education Center at OSF HealthCare and The Grainger College of Engineering at U. of I. It provides funding and direct access to engineers and physicians to address challenges in healthcare. This cutting-edge approach to training aims to enhance neonatal resuscitation skills, equipping healthcare providers in community hospitals with the confidence and expertise needed to save lives.