Dr. Orit Braun Benyamin

Dr. Orit Braun Benyamin

Dr. Orit Braun Benyamin

04-9901786
D2-4
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Role: Senior Lecturer
Overview

Engineering disciplines are continuously evolving, and rehabilitation engineering is emerging as one of the most impactful and socially significant fields. My academic and applied research focuses on rehabilitation-oriented applied engineering, emphasizing the design, development, and implementation of assistive and rehabilitative solutions.

My work centers on creating innovative, affordable, and tailor-made solutions for people with disabilities, addressing the needs of multiple end users: individuals with disabilities, caregivers, families supporting people with disabilities, as well as hospitals and rehabilitation departments. These solutions are developed with a strong emphasis on usability, clinical relevance, and real-world implementation.

I maintain active collaborations with medical and rehabilitation institutions in northern Israel, including the Galilee Medical Center (Nahariya), Ziv Medical Center (Safed), and the Poriya Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as Poriya Medical Center more broadly. These collaborations ensure that engineering solutions are grounded in genuine clinical needs and are evaluated in real rehabilitation environments.

My professional philosophy is based on the patient–caregiver–engineer triangle, in which all stakeholders are equal partners in the development process. Our work integrates patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and engineers as a unified team, from needs assessment through design, prototyping, testing, and final implementation. This interdisciplinary and participatory approach enables the creation of meaningful, effective, and sustainable rehabilitative solutions.

Projects initiated and led by O. Braun Benyamin are considered among Braude’s flagship initiatives due to their unique combination of applied research, student involvement, and direct engagement with the disabled community. Students participate in real-life engineering challenges, including interaction with end users, collaborative design, hands-on implementation, and beta testing by children and adults with disabilities, gaining both professional and social engineering experience.

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Education
2009 Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
1999 M.Sc., Department of Bio-Medical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel 1992
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Research interests
  • 1. Rehabilitation Engineering (Applied Research).
  • 2. Assistive Device Design and Development
  • 3. Human-Centered and Participatory Design
  • 4. Biomechanics for Rehabilitation Applications
  • 5. Engineering Solutions for Cognitive and Neurological Disabilities
  • 6. Interdisciplinary Medical–Engineering Collaboration
  • 7. Student-Led Applied Engineering Projects in Healthcare

Refereed Papers in Professional Journals

Published Papers

  • Nicole Verzijl, Jeroen DeGroot,  Chaya Ben Zaken, Orit Braun-Benjamin, Alice Maroudas,  Ruud A. Bank, Joe Mizrahi, Casper G. Schalkwijk, Suzanne R. Thorpe, John W. Baynes, Johannes W. J. Bijlsma,  Floris P. J. G. Lafeber, Johan M. TeKoppele,, Crosslinking by advanced glycation end products increases the stiffness of the collagen network in human articular cartilage: A possible mechanism through which age is a risk factor for osteoarthritis, Arthritis & Rheumatism, 46 (1), 114–123, 2002
  • Shmuel Springer, Orit Braun‐Benyamin, Chen Abraham‐Shitreet, Meni Becher, Yocheved Laufer, “The Effect of Electrode Placement and Interphase Interval on Force Production During Stimulation of the Dorsiflexor Muscles”, Artificial Organs (Impact Factor: 1.96). 08/2014; DOI: 10.1111/aor.12346
  • Gerry Leisman, Orit Braun-Benjamin, Robert Melillo, “Cognitive-Motor Interactions of the Basal Ganglia in Development”, Frontiers in systems neuroscience, 2014, Volume 8 Issue 16, doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.0016.
  • Braun Benyamin, J. Cohen, S. Braun, "Controlling environmental interference via a 2-phase measurement strategy", Measurement (Impact Factor: 1.526), Volume 47, January 2014, Pages 234–239
  • Muller, N. Shalit, O. Braun Benyamin, "Students of Engineering on Behalf of People with Disabilities: Evaluating the Impact of an Institution's Flagship Project", Frontiers in Education 2015 IEEE.
  • Muller, V. Dangur, O. Braun Benyamin, "Developing Devices for People with Disabilities: Challenges and Gains of Project-Based Service Learning", International Journal of Engineering Education Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 1402–1414, 2019.
  • Roth, N., Braun-Benyamin, O., & Rosenblum, S. (2021). Drawing Direction Effect on a Task’s Performance Characteristics among People with Essential Tremor. Sensors, 21(17), 5814.‏
  • Biswas, S., Dahan, O., Solomonov, E., Waksman, I., & Braun Benyamin, O. (2021). Advancing global health through engineering: a perspective on teaching an online global health course to engineers during a global pandemic. BioMedical Engineering OnLine, 20(1), 1-12.‏
  • Benyamin, O. B., Juvinao, D., Berlinsky, T., Salih, A., Solomonov, E., Waksman, I., & Biswas, S. (2022). Designing Engineering Solutions to Surgical Problems: How to Translate Physiology to Biomechanics. Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series C, 103(5), 1095-1102.‏
  • Pelosi, A. D., Roth, N., Yehoshua, T., Itah, D., Braun Benyamin, O., & Dahan, A. (2024). Personalized rehabilitation approach for reaching movement using reinforcement learning. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 17675.‏

 

Other Publications

  • PATENT PENDING: System and method for locking an intramedullary nail in a bone, I. Illouz, R. Mor Yossef, O. Braun Benyamin, Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 089,031
  • PATENTS: Endoscope holder, D. Solomienski, O. Braun Benyamin, N. Navot, I. Lichter, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/117,029
  • O. Braun Benyamin: " Analysis of Fundamental Human Movements", Physiotherapy Journal IPTS, December 2011, Vol 13/3 pp. 25 (in Hebrew)

Conferences

  • Ben Emergi, Tyler J. Bray, Dr. Orit Braun-Benjamin, Adi Toledano-Shubi, Daphna Livne, Dorit Itah: "Development of the Handle Grip of a Walker for Hemiplegic Post-Stroke Patients", Rehab Science & Technology Update 2018 Congress.
  • Orit Braun-Benjamin, Dor Dahan, Adi Toledano-Shubi, Daphna Livne, Kyle Berkow: "Pelvic lift: Coupling calculated bone stresses envelope to the physiotherapy and functional independence", Rehab Science & Technology Update 2017 Congress.
  • Orit Braun Benyamin, Adi Toledano-Zahrchi, Daphna Livne:" ORT Braude College & Western Galilee Medical Center, Collaboration for Development of Tailor Made Rehabilitation Equipment in the Northern Region of Israel", Rehab Science & Technology Update 2016 Congress.
  • Orit Braun Benyamin: " Biological Markers and flow Regimes Governing the Initiation of Athersclerosis", October 2007, The 3rd ORT Braude College Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Hagoshrim, Israel
  • Orit Braun Benyamin:" Advanced Engineering Design Course as a Leverage for Academic", January 2011 The 2nd Industry-Academia Conference Industry‐Oriented Innovation in Academia, OBC, Israel
  • O. Braun Benyamin: " Improving functional performance neurological and orthopedic trauma: monitoring the load bearing distribution between the lower extremities", September 2011, The 7th ORT Braude College Interdisciplinary Research Conference Kfar Blum, Israel
  • O. Braun Benyamin: "A rehabilitation knowledge center” December 2012 3rd International Conference on Pediatric Chronic Diseases, Disability and Human Development, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Orit Braun Benyamin: ” People with disabilities in the working world", November 2014 The 5th Industry- Diverse employment industry and academia, Head of round table, OBC, Israel
  • Dr Seema Biswas, Mr Hai Kindzur, Mr Moshe Yosef Haim Ben Zoor, Ms Malak Ammar, Mr Michael Demchuck, Ms Marah Shaheen, Mr Dvir Eini, Mr Amit Asulin, Mr. Shai Sonnenreich, Mr. David Fuchs, Dr. Igor Waksman, Dr. Evgeny Solomonov, Dr. Orit Braun Benyamin: Integrating STEAM: Designing Engineering Solutions to Surgical Problems. International Conference: Steam 2022.

Academic Appointments

2015-present ORT Braude College, Karmiel, Israel Senior Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department

9.2016–2.2017 Researcher, sabbatical at Aerospace Engineering, Technion

2009-2014 ORT Braude College, Karmiel, Israel, Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department

2000-present Haifa University, Physiotherapy Department, Haifa, Israel, Adjunct Lecturer

1997-2009 Technion, Department of occupational therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel, Adjunct Lecturer

Teaching Experience

2003-present   Ort Braude College of Engineering – undergraduate

Creative Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, Introduction to Biomechanics, Advanced Engineering Design, Implant Biomechanics, Rehabilitation Biomechanics               

2000-2021       Haifa University – undergraduate

                        Introduction to Biomechanics and electrostatics

1997-2009       Technion – undergraduate

                        Introduction to Biomechanics     

 

 

2015-present     Braude College, Karmiel, Israel

                          Senior Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department

2009-2014         Braude College, Karmiel, Israel

                          Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department

2000-2021         Haifa University, Physiotherapy Department, Haifa, Israel

                          Adjunct Lecturer

1997-2009         Technion, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel, Adjunct Lecturer

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