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Former CREATE postdoc Sasha Portnova talks about her experiences and inspirations

November 22, 2024

Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Portnova, who was a postdoctoral research with CREATE in 2022-24, was interviewed about those experiences as a NIDILRR-funded fellow and about her work in rehabilitation research. In the National Rehabilitation Information Center interview, Portnova spoke about the value of the CREATE ARRT fellowship in transitioning from the overwhelming life as a Ph.D. student into a faculty career.


Sasha Portnova, a white woman, with brown hair. She is smiling warmly at the camera.

Currently, Portnova is a research scientist in the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab, directed by CREATE associate director Katherine M. Steele. She describes herself as an upper-extremity enthusiast. From orthotic and prosthetic devices to virtual rehabilitation techniques, she is interested in fusing engineering and medical fields to develop solutions that would improve the quality of live of individuals with upper-limb disabilities.


“Research. A lot of research.”

Portnova said that the goal of the postdoctoral fellowship is to train leaders in rehabilitation research and to harness advances in physical computing and fabrication. Postdocs participate in research, coursework, mentoring, and physical computing tools for rehabilitation applications. “You design your project from scratch… you see it come through every step of the process.”

And though she chuckled at the idea of taking courses again, she noted that instead of the huge course load of a Ph.D. student, she took targeted courses to enhance her education and experience. The mentoring experience was very helpful to prepare to be a principal investigator and ultimately feel more prepared to tackle the role as a faculty.

She also noted that, as an undergrad at the UW when CREATE was a brand new research center, she has enjoyed seeing the growth into a “big center” and a community working to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Gears of Progress Podcast

Asked about the inspiration behind her podcast, Gears of Progress, Portnova emphasized the importance of scientific communication, mentorship, and the future of research in assistive technology. She first became interested in listening to podcasts as a new parent, wanting to be productive while her hands were busy. Since she loves talking about science and communicating about research to the general public, producing her own podcast was the next step. Her goal with Gears of Progress is to bring content out of the research journals to the rehabilitation specialists and, ultimately, to people with disabilities.

The Gears of Progress podcast is available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox