FINCB is a national and international referral point in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery and neuroscience. It carries out research on child neurology, epilepsy, neuro-oncology, neuro-rehabilitation, public health and disability research, genetic diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
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The Scientific Director established the “Neurology, Public Health and Disability” Unit in 2005: the unit is engaged in the implementation of the ICF at national level as well as in the development of strategic planning and policy recommendations in the field of public health and disability for the Italian Ministry of Welfare.
Since 2007 it has been a WHO Collaborating Centre Research Branch. FINCB has expertise in participation in and coordination of National and Europe-wide research initiatives on disability evaluation, development of outcome measures and policy information and development. Expertise in the development of ICF-based disability measures for use in clinical contexts and/or in population studies.
In the context of EMPOWER, FINCB will lead WP6 (Stakeholder involvement, uptake and policy recommendations) and will mostly collaborate to the design of the eHealth platform (WP1), to dissemination activities (WP5) and to addressing security, legal and ethical issues (WP7).
Project Staff
PI Alberto Raggi (M)
PsyD, Systemic-Relational Psychotherapist, and PhD in Psychology, Health and Statistical Sciences, working at FINCB since 2004 in Neurology, in the Public Health and Disability Unit on several projects related to ICF and related tools and on ICF applications in neurological patients, including data collection on ICF, development of ICF-based patient-reported outcome measures.
Expertise in the use of disability and quality of life measures in neurological conditions. Former member of Disability Italian Network’s directive board (years 2006-2012), teacher in more than 40 ICF training events, former member of Besta Institute’s Clinical Trial Quality Team (CTQT 2014-2019). Author of 177 publications, H-index 25 (Scopus). Editorial Board member of BioMed Research International (Rehabilitation section), The Scientific World Journal (Rehabilitation section), International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, and The Journal of Headache and Pain. CO-PI of the Italian Ministry of Health MIND-CM project.
Matilde Leonardi (F)
MD, Neurologist and Paediatrician. She worked at WHO (Geneva) and at Scientific Directorate of the INNCB since 2001. Head of Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit. Director Italian WHO Collaborating Centre Research Branch. European Brain Council liaison with WHO.
Expert for the Italian Ministries of Health and Welfare. Expert for WHO, EU in the areas of disability, ageing, public health and neurology. Coordinator of several Italian and European projects. Co-author of ICF and ICF-CY. Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Disability and Public Health at the Catholic University of Milan. Vice-President Italian Federation Neurological Associations.
Coordinator of the EC-funded projects MHADIE, MURINET, COURAGE in Europe and PATHWAYS; FINCB PI for the EC-funded projects MARATONE, ATHLOS and CHRODIS+; Coordinator of the Italian Ministry of Health IDAGIT project. Author of 295 publications, H-index 33 (Scopus).
Claudia Toppo (F)
Psychologist, training at Post-Graduate School in Integrated Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy. Researcher at FINCB since 2018 in the Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit, working in European projects related to health promotion and disease prevention in the workplace and in Italian projects related active and healthy aging. Co-author of 8 publications in the field of neurological and chronic diseases, H-index 2 (Scopus).