A LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS BY RECOUP AND ITS STAFF

• RECOUP has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence for RSI, Ergonomics and Cerebral Palsy by several authorities both nationally and internationally.
• Paper accepted at WDPI 2010, the First Scientific Conference on Work Disability Prevention and Integration at Angers, France (September 2-3, 2010): Sharan D, et al. Risk factors, clinical features and outcome of treatment of work related musculoskeletal disorders in on-site occupational health clinics in Indian Information Technology companies.
• Papers accepted at PREMUS 2010, the 7th International Conference on Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders at Angers, France (August 9-September 3, 2010): 1. Sharan D, et al. Does the work style contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms in Indian computer professionals? 2. Sharan D, et al. Effectiveness of a new sequenced multi-disciplinary rehabilitation protocol for thoracic outlet syndrome in Indian computer professionals.
• Papers presented by Mr. Ajeesh PS at 6^th World Congress on Biomechanics at Singapore (August 1-6, 2010): 1. Description and outcome of treatment of a new triad of anterolateral knee pain and movement dysfunction. 2. Prevalence, regional distribution and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders in caregivers of children with cerebral palsy following multilevel surgery.
• Dr. Deepak Sharan has won an International Scholarship to present his research at PREMUS 2010.
• Research paper accepted for publication in the prestigious Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies: Sharan D, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS, Bookout JB, Barathur RR. The effect of cetylated fatty esters and physical therapy on myofascial pain syndrome of the neck. Sept 2010
• Dr. Sharan presented a guest lecture titled Principles of Surgical Treatment of Cerebral Palsy during KOACON 2010, the 34^th Annual Conference of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association at Bangalore, India (February 7, 2010)
• Dr. Sharan presented a paper titled Complications during post surgical rehabilitation following single event multilevel surgery in cerebral palsy, at 16th Annual Conference of Paediatric Orthopaedic Society of India (January 23-24, 2010) at Hyderabad, India.
• RECOUP launched India's first Online Masters and Postgraduate Diploma Courses in Ergonomics (in 2010). Presently, there are fewer than 3 such courses world wide and none in an industrially developing country.
• The Health and Safety Executive and the Department of Health, Government of U.K. have proposed to fund a research study to document RECOUP’s extraordinary results with RSI as compared to NHS Hospitals and private clinics in the UK. A delegation representing these organisations visited RECOUP, Bangalore in January 2010 for this purpose. 
• RECOUP conducted a Conference on Chronic Widespread Pain on Jan 8-10, 2010.
• Dr. Deepak Sharan was the Course Director of the Pre-conference workshop on Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders at HWWE 2009: Annual International Conference of Indian Society of Ergonomics at Kolkata (December 16-20, 2009). Mr. Ajeesh PS was also a faculty for the workshop, which was attended by 65 Ergonomists.
• Papers presented at HWWE 2009: 1. Sharan D, Ajeesh PS, Jacob BN, Kumar R. Risk Factors, Clinical Features and Outcome of Treatment of Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in onsite clinics in Indian IT; 2. Sharan D, Kumar R, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS. Musculoskeletal disorders in Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy following Multilevel Surgery.
• RECOUP conducted a Workshop on Stroke Rehabilitation (December 20, 2009). Guest Faculty: Dr. Ganesh Bhat Bavikatte, Speciality Registrar in Rehabilitation Medicine, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK 
• RSI Action, Scottish Hazards Association and the Dutch RSI Association invited Dr. Sharan to deliver talks on RSI at London (October 30, 2009), Edinburgh (October 31, 2009) and Utrecht, Netherlands (November 6, 2009). All the talks evoked a lot of interest in the RSI patient and the medical community and were well attended.
• Paper presented at the International Cerebral Palsy Conference on “A global status quo on Cerebral Palsy, with a view to the future,” organised by The International Cerebral Palsy Society and the Dutch Academy of Childhood Disability at Utrecht, The Netherlands (November 5-7, 2009): Sharan D, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS. Complications during post surgical rehabilitation following single event multilevel surgery in cerebral palsy.
• Paper presented at MOVE 2009, 3^rd International Conference on Movement Disorders, Edinburgh, U.K. (October 30 –November 1, 2009): Sharan D, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS, Barathur R, Bookout J. The Effect of Cetylated Fatty Esters and Physical Therapy on Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Neck.

• RECOUP conducted a WRMSD Assessment Workshop on October 25, 2009  

• RECOUP's Ergonomists organised an Advanced Workshop on Ergonomic Workplace Analysis (EWA) on September 27 and 28, 2009.

• RECOUP conducted a Course on Research Methodology and Scientific Publication (August 22-23, 2009). Guest Faculty: Dr. Vishal Aggarwal, NIHR Clinician Scientist, University of Manchester, UK

• Dr. Deepak Sharan was nominated by the Indian Society of Ergonomics to represent India at the International Ergonomics Council in 2009.
• Dr. Deepak Sharan was the Chairperson for the Scientific Session on Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (or RSI) at the World Ergonomic Congress at Beijing, China on August 11, 2009. Two papers from RECOUP were presented at IEA 2009, the 17^th World Ergonomics Congress at Beijing, China on August 9-14, 2009: Sharan D, Ajeesh PS, Jacob BN, Kumar R. Risk Factors, Clinical Features and Outcome of Treatment of Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in onsite clinics in Indian IT; Sharan D, Kumar R, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS. Musculoskeletal disorders in Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy following Multilevel Surgery.
• RECOUP became the first centre in India to start Virtual Reality Based Therapy for Childhood Disabilities on June 1, 2009.
• Dr. Sharan was nominated to the Expert Committee on RSI to advise the Government of India regarding policy matters on RSI and Ergonomics.
• Dr. Deepak Sharan presented a Guest Lecture on "Management of Computer Related RSI" during the National Workshop on Occupational Health in the IT Industry, organised by WHO, Regional Occupational Health Centre (S) and Indian Council of Medical Research on March 11, 2009.
• Dr. Deepak Sharan presented a well attended Guest Lecture on “RSI Treatment: What Works?” organised by RSI/OOS Association of Australian Capital Territory (Australia’s largest RSI Patient Support Group, http://www.rsi.org.au/), at Canberra, Australia (Feb 26, 2009)
• Two RECOUP studies were presented at 3^rd International Cerebral Palsy Conference at Sydney, Australia (Feb 15-19, 2009): Sharan D, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS. Outcome of SEMLARASS for Cerebral Palsy; Sharan D, Jacob BN, Ajeesh PS. Complications during post surgical Rehabilitation following SEMLARASS in Cerebral Palsy.
• RECOUP organised a one-day course on “Functional Rehabilitation of Spastic Upper Extremity in Children” at RECOUP, Jayanagar, Bangalore, on February 15, 2009. Chief Faculty: Dr Eva Ponten MD, PhD, Paediatric Orthopaedic & Hand Surgeon, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
• Dr. Sharan delivered a Guest Lecture on Cerebral Palsy: Assessment and Management of Lower Extremity during KOACON 2009, the 33rd Annual Conference of Karnataka Orthopaedic Association at Mangalore on February 8, 2009.
• Dr. Sharan delivered a Guest Lecture on Approach to a Child With Abnormal Gait during PEDICON 2009, the 46th National Conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics at Bangalore on January 25, 2009.
• RECOUP Research and Training Centre organised an Advanced Ergonomics Course exclusively for its staff at RECOUP, Jayanagar, Bangalore, January 12-16, 2009, Chief Faculty: Prof. Arun Garg, PhD, CPE and Dr. Jay Kapellusch (Univ. of Wisconsin, USA). 
• Dr. Deepak Sharan was invited as a faculty at International Ponseti Clubfoot Workshop, organised by Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children, Banepa, Nepal (January 11-13, 2009). He presented guest lectures on Pathoanatomy of the Clubfoot Deformity and A new surgical technique for management of rigid equinocavovarus deformities, besides participating in the practical demonstration of Ponseti method.

The award was presented by the Vice President of India at New Delhi on December 3, 2008, which was the International Day of Disabled Persons. The award was instituted in the year 1969 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Govt. of India) to recognise the achievements of individuals and institutions that are working for the welfare of persons with disabilities.  


Dr. Deepak Sharan is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Rehabilitation Specialist and is the Medical Director of RECOUP Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Centre, Bangalore. Dr. Sharan has supplemented 17 years of clinical experience in India, UK and USA in Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation with a wide-ranging knowledge and qualifications in Biomechanics, Ergonomics, Orthopaedic Engineering, and Rehabilitation Technology. The award recognises Dr. Sharan for developing a Surgical Procedure called Single Event Multilevel Lever Arm Restoration and Anti Spasticity Surgery (SEMLARASS) that has revolutionised the management of Cerebral Palsy, which is the commonest type of disability seen in India.   

The greatest impact of SEMLARASS has been in the lives of people with severe disabilities, e.g., spastic quadriplegia, athetosis and dystonia for whom no effective treatment is otherwise available and most remains bed bound or wheelchair bound. Unfortunately, such people comprise the vast majority of over 25 lakh Indians with Cerebral Palsy. After SEMLARASS several of them have started walking independently in the community. Dr. Sharan has performed surgeries and rehabilitation free of cost on children with Cerebral Palsy who came from weaker economic backgrounds. Of the 600 children with Cerebral Palsy who have undergone SEMLARASS so far, approximately 25% were operated free of cost. Recently he has performed surgery on more than 20 children from economically backward areas of Kerala with great success. Children suffering from cerebral palsy from weaker sections of the society are screened during camps, which are conducted on regular basis, surgeries performed and rehabilitation is provided so that they have a chance to be included in the mainstream.

 
Dr. Sharan was earlier honoured by the then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005 for his work in Childhood Disabilities. He is also an Advisor on Cerebral Palsy to the Govt. of India. Dr. Sharan has produced over 100 presentations and publications in the scientific literature and medical textbooks focusing on his special interest areas of Cerebral Palsy and other neuromusculoskeletal disorders. He is on the editorial panel of several reputed medical journals. Dr. Sharan is actively associated with American Academy of Cerebral Palsy & Developmental Medicine and the Childhood Disability Group of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics.Dr. Sharan’s research was instrumental in enforcing a ban on overloaded backpacks in school children in Kerala in 2004. Till date Kerala is the only state in the world other than California where carrying overloaded school bags is illegal. Dr. Sharan is also an internationally recognised authority in Repetitive Strain Injuries and provides Ergonomics Consultancy to 70 of India’s topmost companies.This National award comes as recognition for the tireless work he has been doing to transform the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.

Presidential Recognition for Dr. Deepak Sharan's work in the field of Cerebral Palsy: Honour from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, The Hon. President of India.

Date: December 18, 2005.

Occasion: Inauguration of new premises of Adarsh Charitable Trust, Kochi, Kerala.

Dr. Sharan was felicitated by the Hon. President and the Hon. Minister Dominic Presentation for his services in the field of Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation. The President personally met several children with Cerebral Palsy who had successfully undergone Single Event Multilevel Lever Arm Restoration and Anti Spasticity Surgery (SEMLARASS), invented by Dr. Sharan, at Kochi.