American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists

Officers' Bios

Chair

Christopher Lake, CPO, FAAOP
Advanced Arm Dynamics, Inc.
3501 North MacArthur Blvd
Suite 650
Irving, TX 75062
Dallas, TX 75247-4028
Phone: (214) 260-3197
Fax: (214) 260-8602
E-mail: ArmDynamics.com

Chris Lake, CPO, FAAOP, is the Southwest Clinical Director for Advanced Arm Dynamics' Center of Excellence located in Irving, Texas. The Southwest Center serves as a testing facility for beta components of leading upper-extremity manufacturers. Chris also leads a team of engineers in the development of new and customized upper-extremity components to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of those with upper-limb loss. Additionally, he is a Clinical Instructor in Upper-Limb Prosthetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Lake lectures all over the world and has published articles in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics (JPO), Medical Engineering and Physics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Clinics of North America, and The Atlas of Amputations and Limb Deficiencies. He also reviews article submissions for the JPO and Orthotics and Medical Engineering and Physics.

Chris is a native Texan and graduated in 1995 from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Prosthetics and Orthotics program. He later completed his Prosthetic Residency at Southern Illinois University and the Orthotic Residency at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his Academy membership, Chris is a member of the International Society of Prosthetists and Orthotists and is a fellow of AAOP.

Chris' future goals include expanding his research competence and strengthening the knowledge base of upper-limb prosthetics.

Vice-Chair

Ron Hopkins, CP
Coastal P&O, LLC, LP
6320 North Center Drive
Norfolk, VA 23502
Phone: (757) 892-5300
Fax: (757) 892-5303
Email: rhopkinscp@msn.com

Ron Hopkins, CP is the founder and president of Innovative Joint Technologies, a research and development company dedicated to new product development for rehabilitation needs of the upper extremity injured or disabled patient population.

Ron's design concepts include both prosthetic and orthotic development. New orthotic development includes four new patents for contracture management devices used for post surgical or post injury treatment. Prosthetic development includes new methods of treatment which are intuitive to the patient's normal anatomical functions.

He is a member of both The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists and the Upper Limb Prosthetics Society. He has 35 years of experience in the Prosthetics and Orthotics field and has worked for companies such as NovaCare and Hanger Orthopedics. He has served as an upper extremity specialist for 25 years.

Ron is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a BS degree in Environmental Health. Post graduate 2 year degrees from combined programs (Cerritos, UCLA, USC) include Prosthetics and Orthotics, Biology, and Sociology.

He is an Adjunct Affiliate Professor at Old Dominion University and teaches Prosthetics to the Masters level Physical Therapy Program. Ron's educational experiences include contribution to Physicians for Peace - (a non profit organization) with assistance in the development of Schools and Patient Treatment Centers in Turkey, the Philippines', and the Dominican Republic.

Ron's future goals are to continue developing new techniques in Prosthetics and Orthotics for the betterment of patient care and treatment.

Treasurer

Pat Prigge, CP
Advanced Arm Dynamics, Inc.
527 Park lane, Suite 500
Waterloo, IA
Phone: (319) 234-0196
Fax: (319) 236-4425
Email: pprigge@armdynamics.com
Bio coming soon.

Secretary

Joseph Brenner, CP, FAAOP
Brenner Orthotic & Prosthetic Labs.
32975 W Eight Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI
Phone: (248) 615-0601
Fax: (248) 615-0606
Email: jbsyntax@hotmail.com

Joseph Brenner, CP, FAAOP, is the Director of Clinical Prosthetics at the Michigan Institute for Electronic Limb Development in Livonia, Michigan. The Michigan Institute serves as one of the nation's specialty centers for pediatric upper limb prosthetics, and works extensively with charities to provide myoelectric prostheses to children who have little or no insurance coverage for prosthetic care.

Joseph is a native of Michigan and the third generation in his family to enter the O&P profession. He began his technical training at an early age under the tutelage of his father, Carl D. Brenner, CPO, FAAOP and grandfather, Karl Brenner, CO. He graduated from Madonna University with a Bachelors degree in Biology prior to completing his prosthetic studies at Northwestern University Medical School.

He routinely lectures on upper limb prosthetics to the doctoral students in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toledo and has given similar lectures to the Masters level programs for Physical Therapy at the University of Michigan-Flint and the PM&R residency program at Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit, Michigan.

Joseph seeks to continue his work on developing Evidence-Based Practice protocols for upper limb prosthetics and to advance the treatment for pediatric amputees with a need for prosthetic intervention.