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About

Katie Trainum is an emerging researcher specializing in the intersection of robotics, gerontechnology, and long-term care, with a particular focus on the integration of care robots into assisted living facilities (ALFs). Her work addresses one of healthcare's most pressing challenges: the growing demand for elder care amid persistent nursing shortages — a crisis further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trainum's most cited work, a 2023 scoping review on robots in assisted living facilities (42 citations), laid critical groundwork for understanding how technological interventions can support resident care. She has built upon this foundation with two systematic literature reviews published in 2024, collectively garnering 26 citations, which examine nursing staff's perspectives, attitudes, needs, and preferences regarding care robot adoption. This body of work is notable for centering the voices of frontline caregivers — a often-overlooked stakeholder group in robotics research. Trainum's contributions are particularly valuable for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare administrators navigating the ethical and practical complexities of human-robot collaboration in elder care settings. Her rigorous review methodology and consistent focus on real-world implementation make her an important emerging voice in assistive technology research.