About the Speaker

Speaker Bio
Majd Alwan, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), a program of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). Dr. Alwan received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Damascus University, Damascus, Syria in 1988, his M.S. in control engineering with distinction from Bradford University, Bradford, UK in 1992, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering (intelligent assistive robotics) in 1997 from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London, UK.

He worked from 1988-1991 for the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST), as a Design Engineer and a Research Assistant. In 1997, he returned to HIAST as a Lecturer and Researcher. In the beginning of 2002, he joined the Medical Automation Research Center (MARC) at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Robotics and Eldercare Technologies Program. His research interests encompassed designing, validating and evaluating the outcome of monitoring systems and assistive devices that address the needs of seniors and their caregivers. He co-founded WellAWARE Systems Inc. (formerly Home Guardian LLC), a start-up company that specializes in In-Home Functional and Health Status Monitoring Systems and Services.  He joined AAHSA to lead CAST in 2007. 

Majd published several articles, book chapters and edited books on monitoring technology. He is a member of the IEEE's Engineering in Medicine and Biology, and Robotics and Automation Societies. Dr. Alwan is also a member of IEEE-USA's Medical Technology Policy Committee (MTPC) and the Geriatric Care Workgroup (GCW).