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Dr. Serena Filoni is an Italian physician and specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, currently serving as Medical Director (Dirigente Medico) at Ospedale Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza IRCCS in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. She also acts as a Health Rehabilitation Manager and Scientific Director, with over 15 years of experience in clinical rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation, and medical management. Dr. Filoni earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the University of Parma and completed her Specialization in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine with honors (50/50 cum laude) at the University of Foggia. She holds multiple advanced qualifications, including Master’s Degrees in Pediatric Neurorehabilitation and Clinical Management and Instrumental Diagnostics of Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Diseases. In addition, she completed a managerial training program for healthcare executives in the Puglia Region and is officially listed as eligible for the role of Health Director in regional healthcare institutions. Her professional experience spans leadership roles such as Medical Director, Health Manager, and Scientific Director at prominent Italian rehabilitation centers including Fondazione Centri di Riabilitazione Padre Pio Onlus. She is a recognized Team Leader for Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, a Tutor Universitaria, and Guest Editor for the MDPI journal Bioengineering.
1. Research and Publications
Author and co-author of over 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications in international journals indexed in Scopus and PubMed.
Research impact includes an h-index of 17, 48 documents, and over 1,000 citations (Scopus ID: 37026042500).
Her work has been published in high-impact journals such as Bioengineering, Brain Sciences, Journal of Clinical Medicine, Neurotrauma Reports, and Mechanisms of Ageing and Development.
Current research topics focus on robotic rehabilitation, neuroplasticity, AI-assisted rehabilitation, and functional recovery in neurological disorders.
Guest Editor for Bioengineering (MDPI) — Special Issue on Current Trends in Robotic Rehabilitation Technology (since 2024).
2. Academic and Teaching Roles
University Tutor (since 2020) for rehabilitation and medical trainees.
Lecturer in II Level University Master’s programs on Clinical Management and Diagnostic Imaging of Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Diseases (2024–present).
Frequent invited speaker and lecturer at national and international conferences in neurorehabilitation, robotic therapy, and clinical management.
3. Scientific and Professional Memberships
Regional Board Member (Puglia–Molise) of SIMFER (Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine), serving as Training Delegate (since 2023).
Member of the Technical Regional Table on Rehabilitation, Regione Puglia (since 2024), focusing on defining rehabilitation pathways and clinical quality indicators.
Active member of:
SIMFER – Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
SIRN – Italian Society of Neurological Rehabilitation
SIAMOC – Italian Society for Movement Analysis in Clinic
4. Scientific Committee and Editorial Work
Coordinator of the Scientific Committee, GREMIR Eventi SRL – Provider ECM (since 2023).
Reviewer and editorial collaborator for multiple medical and rehabilitation journals.
Guest Editor, MDPI Bioengineering journal (since February 2024).
5. Conference and Congress Participation
Presented research findings as speaker, moderator, and scientific chair at numerous national and international congresses, including:
SIMFER National Congresses (2022–2025)
SIRN Congresses (Società Italiana di Riabilitazione Neurologica)
Isokinetic Conference (Madrid, 2024)
XXIV Congresso Nazionale SIRN (Parma, 2025)
Topics presented include robotic rehabilitation in stroke, neurorehabilitation technologies, telerobotics, electrosuit therapy, and neuroplasticity monitoring.
6. Research Collaborations and Scientific Projects
Participation in multicenter clinical studies on robotic and AI-based neurorehabilitation for stroke and spinal cord injury.
Collaborated with major Italian and European rehabilitation research groups and institutions.
Contributed to projects focused on functional outcomes prediction, movement analysis, and non-invasive brain stimulation.
7. Recognition and Academic Impact
Recognized expert in robotic rehabilitation and movement analysis.
Contributor to Italy’s advancement in evidence-based neurorehabilitation technologies.
Actively involved in clinical innovation, scientific dissemination, and interdisciplinary research in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
