Alumnus Yasir Aljohani won an abstract award at the 2023 American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association National Assembly

Yasir Aljohani, who earned a Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO) from Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, won the Lucille and Otto Becker Award at the 2023 American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association National Assembly.

Established in 2012, the award honors the best orthotic abstract submitted for presentation as a poster at the organization’s annual meeting. Aljohani (SHRS ’23G), pictured in the center above, researched his paper, “Reasons for Abandonment by Children in Saudi Arabia,” during his capstone course at Pitt.

In the MSPO program, students learn to restore function and independence in others by evaluating, casting and custom-fitting artificial limbs and braces. Field work and research is supervised by experienced prosthetist orthotists, and students collaborate with physical therapists and occupational therapists, rehabilitation engineers, physicians and researchers.