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Nia’s CEO Interviewed For 3DHEALS 2018 Conference

Jerry Evans • March 4, 2018

In advance of the 2018 3DHEALS Conference, taking place in San Francisco on April 20-21, 2018, Dr. Jenny Chen interviewed Nia’s CEO, Jerry Evans, about his thoughts on 3D printing.

Mr. Evans will be attending the conference on behalf of Nia Technologies.


The following is an excerpt of the interview. You can read the full interview here.


Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?


Jerry: I had read about 3D printers and first saw one in action at a consumer electronics show. My initial thought was, ‘hmmm, a molecular assembler’; and quickly came to realize this is just the beginning for 3D printing. As this technology matures, I believe it will revolutionize our ability to produce anything our imaginations can conjure up.


Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey/company/career/research in 3D printing (bio-fabrication/bio-printing)?


Jerry: As an investment banker, I became disenchanted with the pursuit of alpha (return margin). When I was presented with the opportunity to head up Nia Technologies Inc. and to develop new digital technologies that would help children in resource-poor countries walk, play and attend school, I knew I had found my calling.


Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing? This can be a mentor, a patient, a celebrity, anyone basically. You can name more than one as well.


Jerry: When we first started exploring the idea of using 3D printers to produce prosthetics and orthotics, we came across a 4-year-old (congenital amputee) girl in Uganda, named Roseline. She and her 12-year-old brother traveled an epic 35 hours to see us at CoRSU hospital where we were conducting our first clinical trials of 3D PrintAbility (our prosthetics and orthotics 3D printing toolchain). Roseline was the first patient to receive one of our 3D printed transtibial devices. This was also the first time that Roseline would walk on her own two feet. Witnessing Roseline take her first steps ever was an overwhelming experience, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes who had seen this joyous moment.


Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work?


Jerry: Seeing the joy on the faces of disabled children when they can play with their able-bodied friends.

Healing the wounds and trauma of the war in Ukraine

By Melanie Meloche-Holubowski, Radio Canada • February 23, 2024
In Lviv, the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center has already treated more than 16,000 wounded civilians and soldiers, including 2,000 children. More than 100,000 surgeries have been done. "Everyone is on adrenaline. Everyone is motivated. We are in survival mode. We do it because our friends, our parents, our husbands are on the battlefield", says M aryana Svirchuk from Unbroken . It is estimated that more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians and 70,000 soldiers have been killed since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022. Nearly 19,000 civilians and 100,000 soldiers were reportedly injured. When the war began, the regional civilian hospital had to quickly change course to meet demand, but the staff had little experience in treating war wounds. In addition, the city's hospital has had to adapt to a very large volume of new patients – thousands of Ukrainians who have fled the fighting in the west to settle in Lviv. ...... For the complete story, please follow this link .

A Canadian-donated 3D printer is making artificial limbs for Ukrainian soldiers so they can walk, run – and fight again

By The Globe and Mail - Eric Reguly • October 29, 2023
Amid the tragedies of the war in Ukraine , t here are small victories, small incidents of hope that inspire and rally the defenders. One of those moments came on Sunday in Kyiv, when war amputees fitted with prosthetic legs took part in a charity race that made crowds cheer with pride.  The race, organized by the Nova Post express delivery company and billed as the “World’s Longest Marathon” – a reference to the 3,359 days that have passed since the war started with Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 – included 15 amputees who were given new limbs in the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center at St. Panteleimon hospital in Lviv. One of them, Serhii Yevtushenko, walked and ran his one-kilometre event with a prosthesis made from a Canadian-donated 3D printer that was recently installed at Unbroken. “I had no problem with my new Canadian leg,” he told The Globe and Mail after the race. “Morally, this event felt good and I would like to thank Canada.” ...... For the complete story, please follow this link .
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