Francesca Cecchi, n/a

Director Neuromotor Rehab Unit and PROMISE@LAB, University of Florence-IRCCS Fondazione don Gnocchi
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy - IRCCS Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi, Italy, Italy

BIOSKETCH Francesca Cecchi, born in Florence on 6 April 1966.
Best Education and Training: MD specialized in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and in Geriatrics, University of Florence; Master in Spinal Diseases of the adult and the adolescent, Italian Institute of Studies on the Spine (ISICO); Master in Rehabilitation of Performing Artists, University of Milan, Italy; Postgraduate course on Manual Medicine, University of Siena; Postgraduate Training on Biomechanics and Virtual Reality tools in the field of Stroke Rehabilitation, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Spain.
Current Position: Associate Professor Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Director of the Postgraduate School in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Florence, Italy; Director of the Complex Neuromotor rehabilitation Unit University of Florence - Scientific Institute, Foundation Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence. Director of the joint research laboratory PROMISE@LAB, University of Florence - Scientific Institute, Foundation Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence. Director of the Neuromotor Research Unit, Scientific Institute, Foundation Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence. Co-coordinator National Virtual Institute Cerebrovascular disorders” Italian Network of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation. National advisory board Italian Society of Neurorehabilitation. Secretary of National Stroke Section, Italian Scientific Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (SIMFER), Deputy Secretary of SIMFER Toscana. Chair of the CochraneRehab Unit University of Florence, Italy.
Past positions: 1998-2024 Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, Scientific Institute, first as medical assistant Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, Florence, then Director of Outpatient Neurologic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Facility V Caccini, Florence, then Director of Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Massa, then Director of Neurologic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Units of Massa and Fivizzano, then referent of Neuromotor Rehabilitation Unit level 0; 2001-2020; University of Florence: Adjunct Professor University of Florence, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Degree course of Physiotherapy, Motor Sciences, Master's Degree in Sports Science and Techniques and Preventive Motor Activity. 1995-98 Researcher at the INRCA I Fraticini Hospital Scientific Institute.
Scientific activity: since 1995; her principal areas of interest are neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation and promotion of active and healthy ageing: validation of outcome measures and of specific treatment protocols. She coordinated and participated to several International and Italian funded multicenter studies on the impact of neurological and orthopedic diseases, and of the ageing process, on body structures and functions, activity, participation and quality of life; she is PI for the Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi IRCCS (leading partner) of the ROOMMATE project (THCS 2022) aimed at creating a user friendly digital ecosystem for intensive inpatient rehabilitation after stroke. Reviewer for impacted journals, Cochrane’s Corner Author and member of the Cochrane Newsletter Editorial Board. Member of the National Conference on Robotic Neurorehabilitation CICERONE. Member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (Rehabilitation, Q1). She has published over 200 scientific documents, including University Textbooks. Scopus Author Profile (28/7/25): Documents: 162. Total citations: 2515, Author h-index: 28.
July 28th, 2025
Francesca Cecchi

Poster(s):

• Co-creation of a Technology-supported Ecosystem for Sub-acute Stroke care:preliminary Results of the ROOMMATE Project

• Effects of Robotic Rehabilitation vs Occupational Therapy and Self-managed Active Control on Functional Recovery of the Upper Limb in Chronic Stroke: The REDIRECT Randomized Clinical Trial