Joshua Vanderpool

Joshua Vanderpool, a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University, was inspired to improve the function of traditional crutches after seeing his friend Ildar Fazulyanov break his foot.

Fazulyanov, who is also an inventor-entrepreneur, spent several months in recovery after the injury, which hampered his ability to get around on his own. This motivated the two to found a company called EaziStep and develop a mobility aid for people experiencing foot and lower-leg injuries.

Their innovative medical device won the 2024 Invent Oregon Collegiate Challenge for its ability to transition from a knee scooter into a hands-free crutch, allowing users to regain their independence and a more normal range of motion when recovering from temporary disabilities.

Vanderpool graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Brigham Young University (BYU). While at BYU, he was president of 2ft Prosthetics, which started as a student club to produce and distribute high-quality, low-cost prosthetics to underserved communities around the world. He was also the student director of the Student Innovator of the Year program, where he led leadership workshops and planned events for students to showcase their inventions. After winning Invent Oregon, he is refining the prototype for EaziStep in preparation to take it to market.