Kirsi Manz

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About

Kirsi Manz is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of critical care medicine and rehabilitation robotics, whose work is redefining early mobilization protocols for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Her primary research focuses on developing and validating robotic-assisted mobilization systems to combat intensive-care-unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW)—a debilitating condition affecting roughly one in three critical illness survivors that increases mortality and impairs long-term quality of life. Manz’s landmark 2024 study, "Robot-assisted early mobilization for intensive care unit patients," demonstrated the first-time clinical feasibility of the VEMOTION® robotic assistance system, achieving 14 citations for its groundbreaking integration of robotics into ICU care. Her subsequent prospective interventional cohort study with retrospective control group analysis, also garnering 14 citations, provided compelling evidence that robotic-assisted mobilization significantly outperforms conventional methods in mitigating the negative effects of immobilization. By showing that active mobilization can counteract ICUAW’s risk factors, Manz has established a new paradigm for ICU rehabilitation. Her work not only offers a scalable solution to a critical clinical challenge but also opens doors for future research into automated, patient-specific recovery protocols, positioning her as a leading voice in the emerging field of critical care robotics.