Can We Maximize Living With Bionics?

Richard Besser

Richard Besser is chief health and medical editor at ABC News, where he provides medical analysis and commentary. He is the lead correspondent on the series, Be The Change, Save a Life, and has traveled from Bangladesh to Burkina Faso, raising awareness of important global health issues.

Bresser came to ABC from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he served as director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response and was responsible for all of the CDC's public health emergency preparedness and emergency response activities. He also served as acting director for the CDC and acting administrator for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 2009, during which time he led the CDC's response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak. He has received many awards including the Surgeon General's Medallion for his leadership during the H1N1 response.

Amanda Boxtel

Amanda Boxtel is an eLEGS ambassador and liaison for Berkeley Bionics. Last year, she was the first paraplegic woman in the world to test pilot the Exoskeleton Lower Extremity Gait System. Boxtel became an inspirational speaker following a spinal-cord injury nineteen years ago. In 1995, she co-founded Challenge Aspen, a successful nonprofit organization, which enables individuals with disabilities to participate in recreational activities.

In 2008 Aspen Sojourner magazine named her one of three honorees for her contributions to the Aspen community. In 2007, she won the Colorado Rockies Leadership Award. For ten years, she was a professional ski instructor at Aspen Skiing Company; and from 2001 till 2005, she helped establish adaptive skiing programs in Chile, Argentina, and Iceland. In 2002, Amanda carried the Olympic Torch on her monoski.