Prof. Dr. Tobias Nef

Education and Academic Career:

• Venia docendi in Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern (Oct 2013)
• Assistant Professor, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern (May 2010)
• Assistant Professor, tenure track, Faculty for Biomedical Engineering, Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. (2009)
• Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. sc. ETH Zürich – Mechanical Engineering), ETH Zürich, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Robert Riener, Thesis: ARMin – Multimodal Robot for the Movement Therapy of the Upper Extremities (2007)
• Degree of Master of Science (Ing. él. Dipl. – Electrical Engineering), EPF Lausanne, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Yves Perriard, Thesis: Standstill Position Estimation of Delta Coupled Synchronous Motors (2002)
• Degree of Bachelor of Science (Propédeutique II – Electrical Engineering), EPF Lausanne (1999)

Research Experience:

• University of Bern, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, Bern, Switzerland, Technical Group Head (since 2010)
• University of Bern, Center for Cognition Learning and Memory, CCLM, Bern, Switzerland, Group Head (since 2012)
• The Catholic University of America, Faculty for Biomedical Engineering, Washington, D.C., Group Head, Tenure-track Assistant Professor (2009-2010)
• National Rehabilitation Hospital, Center for Applied Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Research, Washington, D.C., Group Head, Senior Research Scientist (2009-2010)
• National Rehabilitation Hospital, Center for Applied Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Research, Washington, D.C., Post-Doctoral Fellow (2008)
• ETH Zürich, Sensory-Motor-Systems Laboratory (Director: Prof. Dr. Robert Riener), Zurich, Switzerland, Research Assistant (2003-2007)
• Balgrist University Hospital, Spinal Cord Injury Center (Director: Prof. Dr. Volker Dietz), Zurich, Switzerland, Research Assistant (2003-2007)

Honors and Awards:

• euRobotics Technology Transfer Award 2012, Brussels (2012)
• ABB Research Award (CHF 10’000), Zürich, Switzerland (2009)
• Special appreciation of the “Fürst Donnersmarck-Stiftung zu Berlin” for extraordinary scientific achievements in the field of rehabilitation, Berlin, Germany (2009)
• Finalist for the academics/Die Zeit-award as “Nachwuchswissenschaftler des Jahres 2009”, Germany (2008)
• Hans-Eggenberger Award (110’000 CHF), Zurich, Switzerland (2008)
• Post-doctoral Fellowship (42’000 CHF), Swiss National Science Foundation (2007)
• Best Business Case Presentation Award at the Brain meets Venture Event, Zurich, Switzerland (2007)
• Finalist for the Nightingale Prize 2007. The paper T. Nef, M. Mihelj and R. Riener “ARMin: A robot for patient-cooperative arm Therapy” is selected among the 10 best scientific papers published in Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing. (2007)
• Best Presentation Award, Conference for Biomedical Engineering (BMT), Zurich, Switzerland (2006)
• Swiss Technology Award, Baden, Switzerland (2006)
• Best Presentation Award, Automed Conference, Rostock, Germany (2006)
• HumanTech Innovation Price, (10’000 CHF), Swiss Engineering Society and IBM, Zurich (2005)
• Second Prize, European Robotics Cup E=m6, Paris, France (2000)
• First Prize, Swiss Robotics Cup, Geneva, Switzerland (2000)
• Silver Medal, Swiss Society for Young Scientists, Bern, Switzerland (1995)
• First Prize, ABB Inc. Challenge for Young Scientists, Baden, Switzerland (1991)