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Bio

ACADEMIC POSITIONS AND ROLES

Assistant Professor, at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy, since May 2015.
Coordinator of the Rehabilitation Bioengineering Laboratory, Volterra, Italy, since 2011 to date.
Post-doc Fellow at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy, since April 2007 to April 2015.
Visiting Researcher at Department of Neurophysiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, December 1-23 2005.
Research Assistant in Biomedical Engineering at the ARTS Lab (Advanced Robotics Technology and Systems Laboratory) of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy, from June 2002 to March 2007.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Materials Engineering and Robotics (curriculum Robotics), University of Genova, Italy (April 2007). Title of PhD dissertation: “Post-stroke robot-mediated therapy and functional assessment with platform for isometric measurements”. Scientific supervisor: Prof. Paolo Dario (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa).
Master Degree in Computer Engineering (curriculum Automation and Industrial Automation Systems), University of Pisa, Italy (December 2002). Title of graduation thesis: “Interfaccia grafica per ETR500” (User graphical interface for ETR500). Tutors: Prof. Aldo Balestrino (Department of Electrical Systems and Automation, University of Pisa), Prof. Alberto Landi (Department of Electrical Systems and Automation, University of Pisa), Prof. Giancarlo Zini (Department of Electrical Systems and Automation, University of Pisa).

AWARDS

Post-Doc Fellowship. The fellowship was provided by Regione Toscana upon a competitive call, for supporting research activities on the project “TECTUM - Sviluppo e applicazione di TECnologie per la Televalutazione, la comUnicazione alternativa e l’automazione ambientale di pazienti con disabilità gravi e gravissiMe”, funded under POR Regione Toscana Competitiveness and Employment Regions 2007-2013, from March 2010 to February 2013.
Post-Doc Fellowship. The fellowship was provided by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna upon a competitive call (1° ranking, final mark 93/100), for supporting research activities on the research project  “ENABLE - Enhancing human ability for employability”, funded under POR Regione Toscana Ob. 3 FSE 2000-2006 Asse D Misura D4, in the field of bioengineering and neurorehabilitation, from October 2007 to December 2008.
Student Travel Award IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. The award was assigned to 12 researchers during the 9th IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, “Frontiers of the Human-Machine” in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 28 June – 1 July 2005. The award was assigned to Stefano Mazzoleni from Travel Awards Committee as first and corresponding author of the article “ALLADIN: A novel mechatronic platform for assessing post-stroke functional recovery“.

Research

Research activities and interests in the following areas:

  • Biorobotics: design and development of rehabilitation and assistive robotic systems, including the application of user-oriented and human-centred design methods (users’ needs analysis and clinical validation);
  • control systems: design and development of control algorithms;
  • human-robot interaction and interfaces for robots and bionic systems;
  • human-machine interfaces: development of pre-processing and post-processing software analysis tools;
  • assistive technologies;
  • models of motor recovery in neurological, orthopedic and cardio-respiratory rehabilitation;
  • sport biomechanics;
  • patient-ventilator interaction;
  • ICT systems for telemonitoring and telerehabilitation applications.

Publications

Courses

Invited talks and lectures

“Robotics for the upper limb rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Rehabilitation in the upper limb traumatology”, Istituto Prosperius Tiberino, Umbertide (Perugia), Italy, June 17, 2006.
“Biorobotic systems for the improvement of life quality in elderly and disabled subjects”, talk at workshop “Recovery processes in rehabilitation”, Filippo Turati Foundation, Gavinana (Pistoia), Italy, October 27-28, 2006.
“Biorobotic systems for longevity”, talk at workshop “New technogies in neuro-rehabilitation”, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Pavia, Italy, November 14, 2006.
“Assessment of motor performance: from clinical scales to advanced biomechanical models”, talk at workshop “Robotic technologies for rehabilitation”, 2007 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Roma, Italy, April 10-14, 2007.
“Biorobotic systems for the rehabilitation and the functional assessment of disabled people”, talk at the National Conference on “Disability and sporting activities”, Pisa, Italy, June 15-16, 2007.
“Biorobotic systems for motor rehabilitation and functional assessment of disabled subjects”, Seminar on ENABLE (Enhancing human ability for employability) project, Pisa, September 26, 2007.
“Rehabilitation robotics for rehabilitation”, talk at the Conference “Innovative Technologies in Cognitive and Neuromotor Psychology”, Firenze, Italy, January 24, 2008.
“Technologies for motor function restoration”, talk at the workshop “Future clinical perspectives of Gerontechnology”, 6th International Conference of the International Society for Gerontechnology, Pisa, Italy, June 2-4, 2008.
“Aspects of technology, safety and effectiveness in robotics”, talk at the 2nd National Congress of Italian Society of Rehabilitation (S.I.Ria), Firenze, Italy, October 2-4, 2008.
“The assessment of the upper limb using robotic systems”, talk at the Training Course “The evaluation of effectiveness and measurement’s systems in rehabilitation”, Volterra, Italy, May 22-23, 2009.
“Upper limb motor learning and motor recovery after a neurological damage using a robotic system”, talk at the Italy-Japan International Seminar “Musculoskeletal System and Computational Neuroscience for Rehabilitation”, Milano and Genova, Italy, June 15-18, 2009.
“Upper limb spasticity reduction following active training: an experience using robotic systems”, talk at the workshop on “Upper limb robotic neurorehabilitation”, Genova, Italy, December 14-15, 2009.
“Design criteria and prospectives for wearable robotic systems for neurorehabilitation and functional support”, talk at the workshop on “Upper limb robotic neurorehabilitation”, Genova, Italy, December 14-15, 2009.
“Robotics and rehabilitation: new prospectives”, talk at the XXII Fondazione Mariani Care Training Course on “Neuroradiology, neurophysiology and neurogenetics: new diagnostic and therapeutic tools in pediatric neurological disorders”, Genova, Italy, March 24-26, 2010.
“Research activities on telemonitoring and telerehabilitation”, talk at the Workshop on “Telecare in Medicine”, Firenze, Italy, April 8-10, 2010.
“Research on Telematic Medicine: projects on Telerehabilitation, Telemonitoring and Robotics at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa”, talk at the Workshop “La medicina telematica per la disabilità è una realtà: chi, dove e quando”, Bologna, Italy, May 27, 2010.
“The functional assessment using isometric measurements: the ALLADIN system”, talk at the Workshop “La riabilitazione dello stroke…oggi”, Massa Pisana, Italy, June 11, 2010.
“Robot-aided training in stroke subjects: a biomechanical approach for the upper limb assessment”, talk at the Workshop “Future Trends in Rehabilitation Robotics”, 3rd IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, September 26, 2010.
“Research activities on Telerehabilitation, Telemonitoring and Robotics at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa”, talk at the 6th National Congress of the Interdisciplinary Italian Medical Society Promed Galileo, Pisa, Italy, November 6, 2010.
“Advanced assistive technologies and assistive technologies for communications”, talk at the workshop “Occupational Therapy in the Integrated Care for the Disabled Person” (La Terapia Occupazionale nell’Assistenza Integrata alla Persona Disabile), Volterra, Italy, November 25, 2010.
““Telerehabilitation and Robotics” research project”, workshop “Robotics for rehabilitation: current impact on clinical practice and challenges for improving quality of life” (European Robotics Week, 28 novembre- 4 dicembre 2011), Volterra, Italy, December 2, 2011.
“Research activities in Rehabilitation Robotics and Telerehabilitation: experiences and prospectives of the joint laboratory between Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa and “Auxilium Vitae” Rehabilitation Centre in Volterra”, University Campus Bio-Medico, Roma, Italy, February 21, 2012.
“Robotics for rehabilitation and technologies for telerehabilitation: current status and prospectives for improving quality of life of patients”, talk at workshop “Japan Days - Robotic experience in Italy and Japan”, Pisa, Italy, May 11, 2012.
“Control problems in mechanical ventilators”, talk at workshop “Robotics for neuro-rehabilitation: challenges for improving impact on clinical practice”, 4th IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical and Biomechatronics, Roma, Italy, June 24, 2012.
“Upper limb motor learning and motor recovery after a neurological damage using a robotic system”, talk at workshop “Robotics for neuro-rehabilitation: challenges for improving impact on clinical practice”, 4th IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical and Biomechatronics, Roma, Italy, June 24, 2012.
“Robotics for Neurorehabilitation: impact on the clinical practice and development’s perspectives”,  talk at workshop “Update in rehabilitation robotics”, European Robotics Week 2012,  Roma, Italy, November 29, 2012.
“Growth prospects and limits of rehabilitation robotics”, talk at the National Training Course on “Technologies for promoting activity and participation”, Italian Society Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation  (SIMFER), Prato, Italy, March 1, 2013.
“State of the art of Robotics for rehabilitation”, talk at the Training Course on “Robotics in Neurorehabilitation”, Crotone, Italy, April 27, 2013.
“Stroke rehabilitation using Robotics”, talk at the Training Course on “Ictus: un percorso multispecialistico per la valutazione e la riabilitazione per la cura del paziente anziano”, Nottola, Italy, May 4, 2013.
“Robot-assisted gait training in Parkinson’s disease: a State-of-the-Art and challenges for improving the quality of life”, talk at the workshop “The G-EO system and the effects of robot-assisted in gait recovery in patients with Parkinson’s Disease & Parkinsonism”, 5th International Neurorehabilitation Symposium, Zurich, Switzerland, September 11, 2013.
“Innovative technologies for telemonitoring of ventilator-dependent patients. State of the art, impact and challenges for improving quality of life”, talk at the workshop “Patient-ventilator interaction: clinical relevance and challenges for clinical research, Volterra, Italy, September 26 2013.
“Technology”, talk at the Congress on “Care and management of difficult-to-wean patients”, Volterra, Italy, September 27 2013.
“Robot-assisted rehabilitation: State-of-the-Art and challenges for improving the quality of life of disables persons”, talk at the tutorial “Robotic Surgery: State of the Art and Research Opportunities”, 16th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics, Montevideo, Uruguay, November 25, 2013.
“Robot-assisted locomotion training experimental setup and integration with diagnostic and therapeutic systems”, talk at the Congress “Update on robot-assisted gait rehabilitation”, S. Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy, February 21, 2014.
“An integrated eHealth environment supporting care continuity, risk management and patient empowerment”, talk at the workshop “State of the art from FP7 projects and their relation to Horizon 2020, and the EU Robotics Topic Groups”, European Robotics Forum 2014, Rovereto, Italy, March 14, 2014.
“Update in Gait Robotic Rehabilitation in people with Spinal Cord  Injury”, talk at the 8th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation, Istanbul, April 8-12, 2014.
“Clinical assessment for robot therapy stroke patients: a common language for physicians, therapists and researchers”, talk at the 8th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation, Istanbul, April 8-12, 2014.
“Robot-assisted upper limb rehabilitation: mechanisms of motor recovery in chronic and subacute stroke patients”, talk at the workshop “Haptics in Rehabilitation, Prosthetics and Neural Engineering: Robotic Aspects and Neuro-scientific Principles”, EuroHaptics 2014,  Paris, June 27, 2014.
“A set of kinematic parameters as performance metrics for assessing  motor recovery in stroke patients during upper limb robot-assisted therapy”, talk at the 7th International Workshop on Human-Friendly Robotics, Pontedera, October 23, 2014.
“Research and technological innovation in healthcare system: Rehabilitation Robotics and Bioengineering”, 2nd meeting of local healthcare unit (Azienda USL5 Pisa) management, Pisa, Italy, October 30, 2014.
“Robotics and bioengineering for rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop, “Rehabilitation processes for criticall-ill patients: clinical, organizational and research issues”, Volterra, Italy, December 6 2014.
“Rehabilitation robotics: ongoing experimental clinical trials and research projects”, Annual meeting of the Italian Robotics NeuroRehabilitation Group (IRNRG), Milano, Italy, May 8 2015.
“Robotics and technologies for rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Robotics, Virtual Reality and Telerehabilitation: novel applications in rehabilitation”, Carrara, Italy, June 4 2015.
“Affordable rehabilitation robotics and telemedicine”, talk at the workshop “Affordable rehabilitation and assistive robotics for low resource settings and developing Countries”, 14th IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR 2015), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, August 11 2015.
“Assessment metrics for robot-assisted rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Human-Oriented Approaches for Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics”, 14th IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR 2015), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, August 11 2015.
“La BioRobotica per la riabilitazione e l'assistenza: dalla ricerca alla pratica clinica”, talk at convegno “Robotica e Riabilitazione”, September 25 2015, Istituto Agazzi Arezzo, Italy.
“The robot, the patient and the therapist”: interactions and new alliances for rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “The status of research on spinal cord injuries”, Marina di Carrara, October 10 2015.
“Robots for rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Robots for the gait recovery: the experience of Spinal Cord Injury Centre at Pisa University Hospital”, Viareggio, October 30 2015.
“Clinical monitoring: technical perspectives”, talk at the workshop "Biomedical technologies for pulmonary rehabilitation: challenges for clinical research and telemonitoring applications", Volterra, November 27, 2015.
“Clinical monitoring: technical perspectives”, talk at the congress "Difficult discharge of complex patients", Volterra, November 28, 2015.
“Sensors for clinical monitoring: from research to clinical practice”, talk at the Training Course on “La formazione del personale per il progetto CCM e BPCO tra ospedale e territorio”, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, Pisa University Hospital, December 18 2015.
“Robotics for gait rehabilitation: from research to clinical practice”, talk at the workshop “Gait rehabilitation and robotic systems for gait recovery”, Pisa University Hospital, June 15, 2016.
“Robotics and biomedical technologies for ehealth applications in rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Smart Hospital 2.0”, Firenze University Hospital, June 23, 2016.
“Robotic systems in rehabilitation: clinical use and effects on balance”, talk at the workshop “Aspetti innovativi nella terapia, assistenza e riabilitazione dei disturbi dell'equilibrio”, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy, September 24, 2016.
“ICT, Robotics and Rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “TeleMediCare 2016”, Desio, Italy, October 3, 2016.
“Robotics and biomedical technologies for ehealth applications in rehabilitation”, talk at the workshop “Robotics technologies in rehabilitation”, 44th Congress of Italian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SIMFER), Bari, Italy, October 23, 2016.
 “Robotics and technologies for upper limb rehabilitation”, talk at the 1st European Robotic Rehabilitation Summer School, Porto Potenza Picena, Italy, June 7, 2017.
“Sistemi biorobotici e tecnologie per la riabilitazione e l’invecchiamento attivo”, 7a ed. Medit Health Innovation, Organizzazione Sanitaria e Living Technology al Servizio del Paziente Anziano, Convegno SIGG Veneto Trentino Alto Adige, Vicenza, 18 novembre 2017.
“Ventilatory response to exercise of elite soccer players and quantitative assessment of professional boxers performances”, Italy-Japan workshop 2017 on "Robotics and Sport Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, 8 dicembre 2017.
“Robot-assisted upper limb and gait therapy in rehabilitation setting: current evidence, combined approaches, clinical and bioengineering challenges, PMR Rehabilitation Research Grand Rounds, Penn Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, March 21, 2018.
“Robotics and Bioengineering for upper limb and gait rehabilitation: from research to clinical practice, General Robotics, Automation, Sensing & Perception Lab, University of Pennsylvania, USA, March 23, 2018.
“Robot-assisted upper limb and gait rehabilitation treatments: clinical and bioengineering challenges, Children’s National Medical Centre, Washington DC, March 26, 2018.
“Robotics for upper limb and gait rehabilitation: current evidence, combined approaches, clinical and bioengineering challenges, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, USA, March 30, 2018.
“Robotica e neuroriabilitazione: dalle protesi ai sensori di interface”, XVIII Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana Riabilitazione Neurologica (SIRN), Trieste, Italy, April 7 2018.
“Human-Machine Hybridization: Robots, Cyborg and AI”, Summer School in Bioethics 2018 - Human Enhancement: Bioethical Challenges of Emerging Technologies, Roma, Italy, July 10 2018.
“La robotica al servizio dell’uomo: dalle applicazioni industriali alla vita quotidiana, Rotary Pisa, Italy, 26 settembre 2018.
“Progetti congiunti nella ricerca scientifica e trasferimento tecnologico nell’ambito della Biorobotica”, Investimenti e innovazioni: opportunità di collaborazione Italia-EAU, Ambasciata EAU, Roma, Italy, October 22 2018.
“L’interazione uomo-macchina: possono robot e intelligenza artificiale contribuire a migliorare la nostra qualità di vita, in particolare, la qualità di vita di persone con disabilità?”, II Corso di Perfezionamento in Neurobioetica e Roboetica, Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, Roma, Italy, October 26 2018.
“La robotica e le tecnologie per la riabilitazione delle persone con lesione midollare”, Convegno “Riabilitazione robotica del cammino per persone con lesione midollare: ricerca scientifica ed esperienze cliniche”, Pisa, Italy, November 5 2018.
“Parametri cinematici e metriche di valutazione funzionale per la riabilitazione robotica dell’arto superiore in pazienti post-ictus in fase subacuta e cronica”, Convegno “La riabilitazione robotica dell’arto superiore: esperienze a confronto”, Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Centro “S. Maria alla Pineta”, Marina di Massa, Italy, November 16 2018.
“Impresa 4.0, lavoro, sostenibilità, robotica”, Forum per i problemi della pace e della guerra, Circolo Le Vie Nuove, Firenze, Italy, December 7 2018.
“Robotics for Rehabilitation, Biomechanics and Technologies in Sports Medicine: scientific and technological opportunities and challenges”, IMT Lucca, Italy, March 28 2019.
“Technological innovation in Rehabilitation: current status, opportunities and challenges for improving quality of life of persons with disabilities”, 2nd European Robotic Rehabilitation Summer School, Porto Potenza Picena, Italy, May 15 2019.
“International and interprofessional networking to develop common standards for research and innovation: cooperation between medical and technical competences”, 2nd European Robotic Rehabilitation Summer School, Porto Potenza Picena, Italy, May 15 2019.
“Robotics and technologies for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine", Politecnico di Bari, May 21 2019.
“Robotics and technologies supporting upper limb rehabilitation process”, Workshop “Nuove Tecnologie e umanizzazione delle cure nella neuroriabilitazione in età evolutiva e nell’adulto: un binomio possibile”, Centro Cardinal Ferrari, Fontanellato, Italy, June 6 2019.
“Le tecnologie e la robotica per la riabilitazione dell’arto superiore”, Convegno “Tecnologie Innovative a sostegno della fragilità e disabilità”, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy, June 7 2019.
“La robotica nell’arto superiore”, Workshop “Aspetti innovativi nella terapia, assistenza e riabilitazione nelle malattie neurologiche”, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy, September 21 2019.
“Sistemi bioroboticie tecnologie per la riabilitazione neurologica: dalla ricerca alla pratica clinica”, Workhop “TECNOTOG - La tecnologia applicata alla riabilitazione neurologica del bambino, Milano, Italy, October 5 2019.
“La robotica tra passato e futuro nella vita quotidiana”, Bergamo Scienza Festival, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy, October 12 2019.
“Robotica per l’arto superiore: assessment e riabilitazione”, 50th National Congress of Italian Society of Neurology (SIN), Bologna, Italy, October 14 2019.
“Upper limb robot-assisted treatments: scientific research, clinical practice and technological challenges”, Workshop “Robotics in rehabilitation: main challenges for a tailored treatment”, 1st Italian Conference of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM 3D), Roma, Italy, October 19 2019.
“I sistemi robotici per la riabilitazione e l’assistenza”, “Workshop “La disabilità del terzo millennio”, Reggio Emilia, Italy, November 30 2019.
“Robot-assisted treatments for neurorehabilitation: assessment metrics and integration among technologies”, Workshop “Rehabilitation: a future challenge of Robotics”, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Roma, Italy, December 9 2019.