Rochelle Mendonca
Temple University, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, Temple College
Papers
15
Total Citations
137
H-Index
7
About
Rochelle Mendonca is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of rehabilitation robotics, assistive technology, and accessible healthcare, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for stroke survivors and individuals with upper-limb disabilities. Her work is defined by a commitment to equity in rehabilitation: rather than developing high-cost solutions for well-resourced settings, Mendonca consistently designs affordable, deployable systems suited to low- and middle-income countries and underserved rural communities. Her most cited contribution, "Affordable Stroke Therapy" (2017, 43 citations), traces the evolution of robotic rehabilitation platforms from TheraDrive to Rehab CARES, demonstrating how engineering ingenuity can democratize access to expert-level care. Building on this foundation, she has explored socially assistive robots and telehealth platforms to bridge clinician shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, work recognized with 19 citations in 2021. Her research also addresses the frequently overlooked intersection of cognitive impairment and motor rehabilitation, advocating for more inclusive robot-assisted therapy designs. Across more than ten significant publications, Mendonca integrates machine learning, human-robot interaction, and clinical insights from therapists to create systems that are not only technically sophisticated but practically meaningful — advancing a vision of rehabilitation robotics that leaves no patient behind.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 5Toward inclusive rehabilitation robots8 citations · 2023
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