Marco Mainardi

Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Marco Mainardi is a leading researcher at the intersection of neurorehabilitation and biomedical engineering, whose work focuses on developing and validating robotic systems to enhance post-stroke motor recovery. His major contributions lie in bridging the gap between robotic rehabilitation technologies and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying functional recovery. His highly cited 2013 paper, "A Robotic System for Quantitative Assessment and Poststroke Training of Forelimb Retraction in Mice" (56 citations), introduced a pioneering platform for precise, automated assessment and training in preclinical models, establishing a foundational tool for understanding recovery processes. More recently, his 2021 study, "Combining robotics with enhanced serotonin-driven cortical plasticity improves post-stroke motor recovery" (6 citations), represents a significant conceptual advance by demonstrating that robotic training can be synergistically paired with pharmacological enhancement of plasticity—specifically via serotonin-driven cortical changes—to achieve superior functional outcomes. This work highlights Mainardi’s commitment to translating mechanistic insights into clinically relevant strategies, addressing the longstanding limitation of insufficient plasticity enhancement in robotic rehabilitation. His research is essential reading for students and scientists interested in the future of integrated, biology-informed neurorehabilitation technologies.