Healthcare innovator awarded Honorary Degree for global impact
Manchester-born pioneer Grant Wood has been awarded an Honorary Degree by the University of Salford for his work transforming scoliosis care and inspiring future healthcare leaders.
With a career spanning over three decades, Grant has enriched lives through groundbreaking work in prosthetics and orthotics (P&O), entrepreneurship, and education.
After graduating from Salford’s BSc Prosthetics and Orthotics course in 1996, and also completing his master's degree on the Cheneau scoliosis brace at the University in 2003, Grant’s achievements have impacted academia, business, and the health and wellbeing of many individuals facing the crippling effects of scoliosis.
As the co-founder of Align Clinic in San Mateo, California, he created the Wood Cheneau Rigo (WCR) Brace, an orthotic technology innovation that has that has revolutionised scoliosis treatment and improved quality of life for countless patients.
On receiving his award, Grant said: “To the students and graduates here – especially those in prosthetics and orthotics – I’ll just say: ‘You can be good at many things. But when you find the part that truly calls to you, that’s where you’ll do your best work.’”
Professor Vicky Halliwell, PVC Dean of the School of Health and Society said: “We are delighted to honour Grant with this award. His dedication and excellence to P&O research and development reflect the world-leading expertise we have here at Salford. Our new £54 million development, the Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre, will enhance this provision even further with new teaching facilities and Movement Analysis Lab on the ground floor which will be used for research by some of the UK’s most respected prosthetics specialists.
“Grant Wood exemplifies a role model for all our students through his dedication to excellence in healthcare, innovation in patient care, and commitment to education. His entrepreneurial spirit and global experience serve as inspiration for aspiring healthcare professionals.”
