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Leardini Alberto, Electronic Engineer

CV

Date of Birth
02/12/1961
Qualification

Engineer

Current assignment

Director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory

Title of qualification awarded

Bachelor and Master Degree in Electronic Engineering at the University of Bologna.

Other qualifications awarded

Doctorate in in Orthopaedic Engineering at the University of Oxford.

Positions held
Since July 1990 he has been working at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, where he was Coordinator of the Specialist Reference Centre "Ankle and Foot Biomechanics" from November 2008 to December 2019, Technical-Scientific Manager of the Movement Analysis Laboratory, Delegate for the Scientific Direction to the Compartment Committee (2013 - 2016), Head of the Research Line of Computer Aided Medicine (2015 - 2018), now Innovative and Prosthetic Surgery (from 2018) and as such he sits in the Board of Directors since 2015. Responsible for the Quality Management System Laboratory (UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 and following) since 2008, Member of the Evaluation Group "Intellectual Property Rights" since July 2015, acting Director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory from December 2017 to December 2019, Director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory from January 1st, 2020.
Languages

Italian: native; English: excellent

Technologies
Knowledge and management of motion analysis systems: stereophotogrammetric and inertial, dynamometric, barographic and electromyographic.
Knowledge and development of biomedical image analysis techniques and surgical navigation systems. Knowledge of radiostereometry and videofluoroscopy software.
Knowlege and use of software for computation, kinematic and musculoskeletal modeling and device design. Knowledge of 3D printers technology ("additive manufacturing").
Knowledge of kinematic and dynamic variables and their characteristic parameters of normal and pathological gait, as well as following surgery or rehabilitation programs. Development and validation of experimental protocols for instrumental gait analysis, which have become international standards.
Experience in the design of devices for orthopaedic and rehabilitative treatments, such as orthosis and prosthetics; knowledge and development of instruments and techniques for prosthetic replacement surgery.
Knowledge and use of score scales for clinical-functional evaluations of patients with locomotion deficit. 
He has best managed the great technological changes of the discipline, as well as their effects at the organizational and administrative level; he has been supporting the Management (directly in the last two years) for the negotiation of the budget of his complex structure, as well as for the reporting of activities.
Teaching activities

Between 1991 and 1995 he was Adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna - Faculty of Medicine, for a course in Biomechanics at the Specialization Schools in Orthopaedics and Traumatology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

In the years 2004-2014 he was Adjunct Professor of the Course "Biomechanics of the Motor Function" at the University of Bologna - 2nd Faculty of Engineering, DEIS, University of Bologna, Campus of Cesena and in the Master's Degree Course in Biomedical Engineering, area "Biomechanical and Artificial Organ Design".

Every year he hosts and coordinates training and curricular internships, and is co-supervisor of degree doctorate theses for several degree courses of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Bologna and other Italian universities (Ancona, Turin, Milan, Padua, Verona, Rome). He has given lectures at international and national courses. He has been examiner of doctoral theses, 8 international and 5 national. He has been supervisor or co-supervisor of 66 Master's theses and 3 Bachelor's theses. He has hosted about 60 training internships. 

Scientific activities

At IOR, he coordinates current and finalized research projects. He is Scientific Coordinator of various commissioned research projects, including industrial research. He has participated as a partner in various European research projects (FWP 2nd-7th).

He is author of many presentations at conventions, including: 69 by invitation (7 of which in Italy); abstracts for presentations at conventions, 627 as speaker (416 published, 211 unpublished), 185 posters, 6 with biomodels.

Abstract in journals 185; moderator in 47 sessions; scientific exhibits 2. Among these, 12 were awarded as the best presentation of the convention.

He is author of book chapters, 32 in English and 15 in Italian, as well as of a monograph. He is author of 201 papers in impacted international journals, with 288 co-authors (many international), 10.424 citations and H-index 43 (source: Scopus 30-3-2020). Finally, he is the author of 42 papers on other journals.

He is inventor of three patents: "A prosthetic device for human articulations, in particular for the ankle articulation", registered in Italy, PCT, USA, and EPO (first dismissed for industrial exploitation still in progress); "Perfectioned Orthopaedic Device" (knee prosthesis), registered in Italy and PCT; "Articulated foot-ankle orthosis with floating rotation axis", registered in Italy and PCT. 

He is reviewer for the main international trade magazines, including: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders; BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth; Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research; Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering; Computer Methods and Program in Biomedicines; Foot and Ankle Surgery; Heliyon; Human Movement Science; IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering; IEEE Transaction on Neural Networks; IMechE, Journal of Engineering in Medicine, Part H of the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers; Journal of Applied Biomechanics; Journal of Athletic Training; Journal of Biomechanics; Journal of Biomechanical Engineering - ASME; Journal of Engineering in Medicine; Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics; Journal of Foot and Ankle Research; Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery; Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Treatment; Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation; The Journal of Rheumatology; Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering; Journal of Orthopaedic Research; Journal of Sports Sciences – Biomechanics Section; Measurements; Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing; Medical Engineering and Physics; Musculoskeletal Surgery; Osteoarthritis and Cartilage; Physiological Measurement; PlosOne; Rheumatology; Sensors; Surgical Innovation; Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

He is or has been member of the Editorial Board of the following international trade reviews: Journal of Biomechanics, Clinical Biomechanics, Gait & Posture, Biomedical Engineering Application Basis and Communications; he is also Contributing Editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics in the area "Musculoskeletal Biomechanics".

He was reviewer of abstracts for the scientific program of many national and international congresses.
He has covered and holds institutional roles in the most important national and international scientific societies in the sector:
  • Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society: Standardisation Committee 2004 – 2008
  • Società Italiana Analisi del Movimento in Clinica: Founding Member, Secretary, Vice-President 2007-2009, President 2009-2011
  • International Foot & Ankle Biomechanics: Founder, Steering Group since 2007
  • Technical Group 3-D Analysis of Human Movement: President 2010-2012
  • European Foot Ankle Society: member of the Research Committee since 2010
  • Italian Digital Biomanufacturing Network: Founding Member, President 2016-2018
  • International Society of Biomechanics: Executive Council 2013-2019 (Student Award Officer), President-Elect 2019-2021, President 2021-2023
  • Weight-Bearing CT Society: member of the Scientific Board since 2018.
Clinical and/or Scientific interests
His main clinical and/or scientific interests have been:
  • Experimental protocols for movement analysis: with anatomical calibration and calculation of the hip center (Leardini - Cappozzo 1995-1999); standardization and critical literature review (Leardini - Chiari - Cappozzo 2005); for multi-segmental foot kinematics (Leardini - Benedetti 2007).
  • Design of new ankle prostheses: in particular, he developed the entire path of studies ranging from in-vitro measurements to the clinical results of an innovative prosthesis, including modeling, prototyping, instrumentation and functional evaluation (Leardini - O'Connor - Giannini 1999-2011).
  • New systems and techniques for surgical navigation: in particular, he has developed the entire path from in-vitro measurements to clinical-surgical results of patella navigation in knee prosthesis (Leardini - Catani - Belvedere 2007-2019).
  • Combined and integrated measurements of kinematics, baropodometry and biomedical imaging (Leardini - Belvedere - Giacomozzi - Caravaggi 2014-2016).
  • Design of customized prostheses and implants for orthopaedics, from biomedical imaging to production and final finishing (Leardini - Belvedere - Caravaggi - Fortunato 2016-2019).

Training events

Promotore/organizzatore dei seguenti eventi formativi.

Clinical Day - 7th International Patellofemoral Research Retreat
A day to deeping into clinic and appllications of Patellofemoral topic
from Friday - 9 June 2023 - 08:30 to Friday - 9 June 2023 - 17:30
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7th International Patellofemoral Research Retreat
from Tuesday - 6 June 2023 to Friday - 9 June 2023
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