Plenary speakers deliver 45 minute lectures during the mornings of the scientific SSNR program. The lectures will span broad surveys of recent major developments in the neurorehabilitation field.
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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston USA
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: Paolo Bonato, Ph.D., is Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. He holds adjunct appointments at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and Boston University and is a Research Affiliate at MIT. Dr. Bonato’s research focuses on rehabilitation applications of digital health and robotics. He was the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation and later the IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology. He serves on editorial boards for leading journals, including the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics and Progress in Biomedical Engineering. His leadership roles include service as member of the IEEE EMBS AdCom, IEEE EMBS Vice President for Publications, and President of the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology. He holds an MS from Politecnico di Torino and a PhD from the University of Rome “La Sapienza.
Imperial College of London, UK
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: TBA.
University of Rome Tor Vergata and Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: Andrea d’Avella (MS in Physics; PhD in Neuroscience) is a Full Professor of Physiology in the Department of Biology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and a Team Leader at the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome, Italy. He earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000, working in Emilio Bizzi’s laboratory on the neural basis of motor control in frogs and monkeys. Dr. d’Avella has made significant contributions to establishing muscle synergy analysis as a computational approach for studying the modular organization of motor control and its alterations following neurological injury, including the development of a novel algorithm for identifying spatiotemporal muscle synergies. His research has examined muscle synergies in human reaching and the motor strategies used to solve complex, real-world tasks such as catching and throwing. He has also developed an innovative method to probe the modular organization of the motor system through adaptation to virtual surgeries—perturbations of muscle-generated forces simulated in virtual reality using myoelectric control. This methodology has been applied to the control of supernumerary robotic limbs, leveraging musculoskeletal redundancy, and to neurorehabilitation.
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: Marta Gandolla (1985) obtained her European PhD in Bioengineering from Politecnico di Milano in 2013. She carried out research activities at Politecnico di Milano, the UCL Institute of Neurology (UK) and at Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi (Rome). She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano.
Her scientific work focuses on the mechanical and control design of exoskeletons, rehabilitative and assistive devices, their experimental validation, and the development of technologies aimed at reducing the biomechanical load on workers’ musculoskeletal systems. She collaborates actively with the WE-COBOT laboratory and has contributed to technology transfer in the field of assistive robotics as co-inventor of three patents and co-founder of the start-ups AGADE and AllyArm.
She teaches courses in Applied Mechanics of Machines (Bachelor’s degree), Collaborative Robotics and Paralympics and Sport Rehabilitation (Master’s degree), and Healthcare Robotics (MEDTEC program).
She serves as Associate Editor for the international journals IEEE Transactions on Neural Engineering and Rehabilitationand IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics.
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: Roger Gassert is a Professor of Rehabilitation Engineering at ETH Zurich. His research centers on the development and clinical validation of technologies to explore, assess, and restore sensorimotor function in neurological disorders, with the goal of improving independence. He earned an M.Sc. in microengineering and a Ph.D. in neuroscience robotics from EPFL, and his early work included creating the first MRI-compatible haptic interfaces for safe human interaction during functional imaging.
Roger is Vice-Chair of the ETH Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science, President of the Swiss foundation Access for all, national contact person for the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE), and co-founder of ETH spin-offs Auxivo, which develops wearable exoskeletons, and Optohive, which develops next-generation portable brain imaging solutions. His research interests span physical human–machine interaction, rehabilitation robotics, assistive technology, wearable sensors, haptics, and the neural control of movement, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary translation and clinical impact.
Head of Research Germany, Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA
Abstract: Most great prototypes don’t fail because they don’t work. They fail because working was never enough.
Between a promising idea and real-world impact lies a gap where usability, timing, economics, and human behaviour determine what survives, and what doesn’t. Technical excellence gets you to the edge. It doesn’t carry you across.
Drawing on examples from academia–industry collaborations, this talk examines what actually does: tracing ideas that changed practice alongside those that didn’t, despite strong technical merit. The result is an honest look at why innovation demands more than good science, and what it takes to build something that truly matters..
Biosketch: Dr. José González-Vargas is Head of Research in Germany at Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA, where he leads the German Research Hub focused on translating advanced research into market-ready healthcare products. His work spans lower- and upper-limb prosthetics, orthotics, AI data analytics, Digital processes, and rehabilitation robotic systems, with a strong emphasis on real-world impact and clinical usability.
He specializes in human–machine interfaces, robotics, and neuro-rehabilitation technologies, with extensive experience in prosthetic and orthotic system design, machine learning–based control, embedded electronics, and advanced control algorithms. His work bridges fundamental research and industrial innovation, driving the development of intelligent, user-centered assistive technologies.
Dr. González-Vargas is actively involved in European and German-funded research initiatives and previously served as coordinator of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action project SimBionics. He has led multidisciplinary and international teams across academia and industry, delivering complex projects efficiently and at high technical quality.
He holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from the Tecnológico de Costa Rica and completed a Master’s in Artificial System Engineering and a PhD in Medical System Engineering at Chiba University, Japan. His academic career was supported by the MEXT Scholarship and the JSPS Young Research Fellowship. Prior to joining Ottobock, he held research positions at Chiba University, the University Medical Center Göttingen, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), focusing on neural rehabilitation and assistive robotics.
Rice University, USA
Abstract: Over the past 35 years, computational modeling and simulation have transformed the design of airplanes, automobiles, and numerous other commercial products. By replacing physical prototypes with virtual prototypes, engineers can now perform design iterations computationally rather than physically, thereby allowing them to develop significantly improved designs in less time and at less cost through the use of numerical optimization methods. Unfortunately, a similar computational process has not yet been explored to design clinical treatments for movement impairments. In this lecture, I will describe the capabilities of the recently developed Neuromusculoskeletal Modeling (NMSM) Pipeline, which is Matlab-based software that adds Model Personalization and Treatment Optimization functionality to OpenSim. The software allows musculoskeletal modeling researchers working in collaboration with clinicians to develop personalized neuromusculoskeletal computer models of individual patients and then use those models to design personalized neurorehabilitation or surgical treatments that maximize each patient’s post-treatment movement function. The lecture will present the history behind the development of the NMSM Pipeline software, describe the functionality available in the software, and present several examples where the software has been used to design clinical treatments that improve walking function for individuals with knee osteoarthritis or stroke..
Biosketch: B.J. Fregly, Ph.D., is a Trustee Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering at Rice University. B.J.’s research focuses on personalized modeling, simulation, and optimization of the human neuromusculoskeletal system. He is the director of the Rice Computational Neuromechanics Lab, which is seeking to make computational design of personalized treatments for movement impairments a clinical reality. To support that effort, B.J.’s research group recently released the Matlab-based Neuromusculoskeletal Modeling (NMSM) Pipeline software, which adds Model Personalization and Treatment Optimization functionality to Stanford’s OpenSim musculoskeletal modeling software. B.J.’s lab is currently using the NMSM Pipeline to explore computational treatment design for stroke neurorehabilitation, knee osteoarthritis surgical planning and rehabilitation, and pelvic cancer surgical planning.
Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: For most of my academic career, I have done work that addresses basic properties of the neural control of reaching and grasping. My early training in Physics and Engineering has very much influenced my approach to these problems, which tends strongly to the quantitative. The recent growth of neural engineering has provided a productive avenue for the transformation of my basic research into a more applied, translational line of work. We have developed a very successful efferent interface that restores hand use to temporarily paralyzed monkeys using Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of the paralyzed muscles that is controlled in real time by motor cortical (M1) recordings. That project now uses wireless recording of both neural and EMG signals while the monkey is in its home cage, which affords us the unique opportunity to collect virtually unlimited datasets for decoder training during unconstrained, natural behavior. These datasets have allowed us to study the representation of hand use by M1 neurons across a wide range of natural behaviors, and to compare these representations to those of more typical constrained lab tasks. However, this particular model of SCI lacks critical elements, including muscle atrophy, denervation, and the opportunity for recovery of function through neuroplastic changes in spinal circuitry and in spared descending projections. For this reason, we have also developed a rodent model of cortically-controlled FES that we are using to restore locomotion in a rat with an actual lumbar hemisection. The project combines neuromuscular and spinal stimulation delivered wirelessly through an implanted device of our design.
Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Research Innovation Institute and Rehabilitation Center, Costa Masnaga, Italy
Abstract: Recovery from neurological injury is an active, experience-dependent biological event governed by the rules of neuroplasticity. This lecture proposes a paradigm shift: rehabilitation robots are not merely mechanical effectors — they are cobots, cooperative agents capable of translating the layered intentionality of both patient and clinical team into precisely dosed, biologically meaningful therapeutic acts.
When volitional engagement with a robotic device is timed and amplified by multimodal neuromodulation — transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, peripheral neurostimulation, non-invasive brain stimulation — the resulting neural event becomes a high-impact neuroplastic stimulus, recruiting dormant circuits, shifting excitatory/inhibitory balance, and engaging metaplastic cascades that outlast the session itself.
This triadic framework — cobot as intention transducer, neuromodulation as biological priming, purposeful movement as irreducible therapeutic signal — will be illustrated through clinical evidence from post-stroke rehabilitation, and projected toward emerging AI-driven closed-loop systems capable of reading the patient’s neural state in real time to sustain the biological window of maximum plasticity.
The ultimate goal: an ecosystem in which engineers and clinicians design together a sustained neuroplastic environment — not an occasional event, but a continuous therapeutic infrastructure.
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Biosketch: Dr. Franco Molteni is the Scientific Director of Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Research Innovation Institute and the Clinical Director of Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center. He has 40 years of experience in Rehabilitation Medicine and specializes in instrumental movement analysis and multimodal rehabilitative treatments using advanced technologies like robotics, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES).
Dr. Molteni has collaborated on several research projects with various national and international institutions, including Politecnico di Milano, the Institute of BioRobotics in Pisa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), University of Vienna, and Imperial College of London. He is a member of many scientific institutions like the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, the Italian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Italian Society of Neurorehabilitation. Dr. Molteni is also involved in educational activities as the co-director of the RehabTech Master at Politecnico di Milano and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for various pharmaceutical and hi-tech companies.
Technische Universität München, Germany
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: TBA.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Abstract: Neurological diseases and injuries that damage neural transmission pathways can lead to serious disabilities in brain function. For example, Alzheimer’s disease can impair memory, while spinal cord injuries can cause paralysis. To address these challenges, we have developed an artificial information pathway that bypasses the damaged areas. This pathway directly transforms brain signals from active upstream neurons into real-time predictions for downstream neurons, allowing biomimetic communication between disconnected brain regions. Restoring this information flow induces the functional connectivity in the affected areas and facilitates real-time movements. This approach offers new methods for motor rehabilitation for patients with functional impairments due to neural damage and even provides new rehabilitation opportunity for patients with advanced cognitive function injuries.
Biosketch: Yiwen Wang received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. From 2010 to 2016, she served as an Associate Professor at Zhejiang University in China and is currently an Associate Professor with substantiation in the Departments of Electronic and Computer Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Her research interests include neural decoding in brain-machine interfaces, adaptive signal processing, and neuromorphic engineering. She has held leadership roles such as Chair of the IEEE EMBS Neural Engineering Technical Committee and Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Brain Newsletter. She is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Neural Engineering and serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.
Recognized as an IEEE EMBS Distinguished Lecturer in 2022, she received the IEEE EMBS Distinguished Service Award in 2023 and was a keynote speaker at the IEEE EMBS Annual Conference 2024. She holds two U.S. patents and has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications.
National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies
Albany Stratton VA Medical Center and State University of New York
Albany, New York, USA
Abstract: TBA.
Biosketch: Dr. Wolpaw is a neurologist who has devoted nearly 50 years to basic and clinical research. His group developed operant conditioning of spinal reflexes as a model for defining the plasticity underlying learning, and went on to show that this conditioning can improve walking in animals and people with spinal cord injuries. This work introduced the new therapeutic method of targeted neuroplasticity. His group also guided development of brain-computer interface (BCI) principles and methods and is exploring BCI use to improve neurorehabilitation. Most recently, in response to the growing appreciation of the lifelong plasticity of the CNS, he led formulation of a new paradigm for understanding how useful behaviors are acquired and maintained through life, a paradigm based on the new concepts of heksors and the negotiated equilibrium of CNS properties that heksors create. His group has been supported throughout by NIH, the VA, and private foundations; their work has been recognized by many national and international awards.