John A. Stankovic
BP America Professor of Science and TechnologyA Network in Your Everyday SurroundingsJohn A. Stankovic is interested in using wireless networks to solve health care challenges. The BP America Professor of Science and Technology, a computer scientist, is collaborating with Robin A. Felder, a professor of pathology in the University's School of Medicine, and researchers at other institutions to develop a smart living space that would enable older adults to age safely. The researchers are developing networks of sensors—some that could be worn, others that could be installed in people's homes—that could serve a number of purposes. They could, for instance, act as a passive medical alert system, setting off an alarm at a central office if a senior's daily activities were interrupted. They also could be used as a diagnostic system to identify changes in a senior's physiological condition—such as difficulty breathing or an increase in blood pressure—that might warrant medical intervention. "With these networks, physicians will obtain a full picture of the patient's condition, rather than the snapshot they get from an office visit," Mr. Stankovic said. To encourage more research in this area, Mr. Stankovic is establishing the Center for Technology in Medicine at U.Va. "We have a critical mass of researchers who are interested in these problems and who have the expertise to help solve them," he said. BP America Professorship in Science and TechnologyThe BP America Professorship in Science and Technology was established in 1982 with support from BP America, Inc., a petroleum exploration company with interests in coal, minerals, and chemicals. Alton W. Whitehouse, Jr. (McIntire '49, Law '52), the corporation's past chairman, was a member of the National Leadership Gifts Council of the Campaign for the University of Virginia that ended in 2000, as well as of the Law School's Campaign Executive Committee and the Law School Foundation's Board of Trustees. ChairholdersRobert J. Mattauch 1986–95 Web Links |