University Of Alabama Birmingham Partners With Lakeshore Foundation For Rehab Research Effort

Birmingham, AL (AHN) - With a goal of developing a world-class research program in rehabilitative science, Lakeshore Foundation has joined forces with the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB).

The Lakeshore Foundation/UAB Research Collaborative will draw on Lakeshore's programs for people with physical disabilities and combine it with the UAB School of Health Professions' research expertise, according to a statement from UAB.

A $2 million investment from Lakeshore provided the funding for the collaboration, which will establish a Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in the UAB School of Health Professions. The future chair will serve as the director of the joint research effort.

"As we looked at various models of how to build our research program, it made perfect sense to us to sit down with UAB, one the leading research institutions in this country," said Jeff Underwood, president of Lakeshore Foundation, in the statement. "A good working relationship with the School of Health Professions was already in place through several collaborative projects."

The partnership is thought to be the first of its kind between a major research university and an organization that works with the physically disabled by providing physical activity, sport and education. The research collaborative aims to identify, develop, validate and apply new programs and technologies that can help people with physically disabling conditions.