European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation

Members' section

EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION

EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION

The European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR) is the major multidisciplinary rehabilitation research forum in Europe. Originally formed in 1983, it has members from all parts of Europe.
The purpose of EFRR is to advance research and education in biopsychosocial aspects of rehabilitation. The outcomes of such research are implemented and disseminated with the aim of improving both the provision of social, vocational, health-care and rehabilitation services and the standards of practice in these services, for the benefit of people with disabilities.


In particular, the aims of EFRR are:

  • To foster an interdisciplinary approach to research based on a biopsychosocial model of health and disability, thus focussing on rehabilitative research in the domains of impairments of body functions and structures, activity limitations and participation restrictions, as well as the identification of environmental barriers and facilitators
  • To facilitate an exchange of information regarding research into these topics
  • To encourage the exchange of ideas and the development of collaborative research projects in functioning, disabilities and health. These may concern physical, mental and social-environmental aspects of rehabilitation including assistive technology, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and return to work programmes, as well as legal, economic and socio-political aspects of disability
  • To organise and conduct a two-yearly congress, as well as other activities such as workshops, courses on the above-mentioned topics as well the creation of networks of professionals working in different fields within the broad spectrum of rehabilitation

Please click here to download the EFRR Strategy of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation.

Please click here to download the EFRR Action Points of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation.

A brand-new offer for our EFRR members!

To become a EFRR member please click here MEMBERSHIP – EFRR

Date Time Title Lecturer
May, 12 2022 19:00 – 20:00
CEST		 Rehabilitation and Health Systems Strengthening for Covid-19 and Post Covid-19 Condition Susanne Nielsen, Rehabilitation Expert, Dr. Florian Tille,
Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe
May, 19 2022 19:00 – 20:00
CEST		 The new definition of rehabilitation developed by Cochrane Rehabilitation with all the major global stakeholders Carlotte Kiekens, Stefano Negrini, Italy
June, 9 /16 19:00 – 20:00
CEST		 Editor’s Pick: Rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure and critical illness disease in Slovenia: an observational study Neža Majdič, PhD, MD, assist prof. Primož Novak. PhD, MD,
University Rehabilitation Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Date Time Title Lecturer
September, 15 2022 19:00 – 20:00
CEST		 Feasibility, Pilot, Proof-of-Concept: Same, Similar, Different? Prof. Dobrivoje Stokić, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Mississippi, USA
  19:00 – 20:00
CEST		 Editor’s Pick  

DEAR MEMBER,

THE EFRR COUNCIL AND THE EDITORIAL OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REHABILITATION RESEARCH (IJRR) HAVE JOINED FORCES TO PUT IN PLACE SEVERAL NEW INITIATIVES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE EFRR MEMBERS AND IJRR READERS. AS A REMINDER, IJRR WAS ADOPTED AS OUR OFFICIAL JOURNAL WHEN THE FORUM WAS FOUNDED IN 1983. THE IJRR IS A QUARTERLY, PEER-REVIEWED, INTERDISCIPLINARY FORUM FOR THE PUBLICATION OF CLINICALLY RELEVANT AND APPLICABLE RESEARCH INTO FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY, AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS EXPERIENCED BY PERSONS OF ALL AGES (PLEASE VISIT HTTPS://WWW.EFRR.ORG/JOURNALS OR HTTPS://JOURNALS.LWW.COM/INTJREHABILRES).  THE CURRENT IMPACT FACTOR IS 1.479 AND HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.

HERE ARE THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.

FIRST, WE HAVE STARTED EDITOR’S PICK, A NEW SECTION IN THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE JOURNAL AS A WAY TO RECOGNIZE THE BEST ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN EACH ISSUE. THE SELECTED ARTICLE IS PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON THE JOURNAL WEBSITE, AND THE FULL TEXT IS FREELY AVAILABLE THANKS TO OUR PUBLISHER WALTERS KLUWER REPRESENTED BY PHIL DALY.

SECONDLY, THE FOUR ARTICLES SELECTED AS EDITOR’S PICK IN A GIVEN YEAR WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE FOR THE ANNUAL BEST PAPER AWARD. THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN JOINTLY BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE IJRR EDITORIAL OFFICE AND EFRR COUNCIL. THE FIRST AUTHOR OF THE AWARDED ARTICLE WILL RECEIVE FREE REGISTRATION FOR THE NEXT EFRR CONGRESS AND BE RECOGNIZED ACCORDINGLY DURING THE MEETING. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PUBLISHER IN HOPES OF SECURING ADDITIONAL JOURNAL BENEFITS FOR THE AWARDEES.

THIRDLY, WE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN EFRR WEBINARS THAT WILL BE FREELY AVAILABLE TO EFRR MEMBERS. THE LIST OF SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE THE AUTHORS OF THE EDITOR’S PICK WHO WILL BE INVITED TO PRESENT THEIR AWARDED ARTICLE.  BESIDES THESE QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS, ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS WILL BE SCHEDULED YEAR-ROUND. THE EFRR COUNCIL IS OPEN TO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MEMBERS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE TOPICS AND PRESENTERS.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TWITTER ACCOUNT OF IJRR THAT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY ACTIVE (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/INTN_J_REHBLRES). WE HIGHLIGHT NEW ARTICLES FROM THE LATEST ISSUE OF IJRR AND GIVE OUR PERSPECTIVE ON MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND BENEFIT FROM THIS NEW INITIATIVE, PLEASE JOIN TWITTER AND FOLLOW US AT @INTN_J_REHBLRES.

IN CLOSING, I INVITE YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR VALUABLE RESEARCH TO IJRR AND BENEFIT FROM THESE NEW INITIATIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

SINCERELY,

PROF. HELENA BURGER MD, PHD

EFRR PRESIDENT

THE COUNCIL ELECTION IS DONE AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF EFRR, DURING THE EFRR CONGRESS ON 23RD – 25TH SEPTEMBER 2021 IN LUBLJANA (MORE INFORMATION: HTTP://WWW.EFRR2021.SI). EFFR ACTIVE MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE EFRR GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON 16.09.2021 VOTED FOR THE EFRR COUNCIL MEMBERS.

ACCORDING TO THE EFRR CONSTITUTION, EACH EFRR ACTIVE MEMBER WHO IS A RECOGNIZED HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER, REHABILITATION COUNSELOR, CASE MANAGER OR SOCIAL WORKER WORKING IN THE REHABILITATION FIELD WAS ELIGIBLE TO BE NOMINATED AS COUNCIL MEMBER.

ANY ACTIVE EFRR MEMBERS WAS ELIGIBLE AND KINDLY REQUESTED TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL. EACH PROPOSED CANDIDATE SUBMITTED A RESUME AND A LETTER OF INTEREST INDICATING THAT THE CANDIDATE IS WILLING TO STAND.

THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES WERE NOMINATED AND ELECTED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EFRR COUNCIL FOR THE LEGISLATURE 2021-2022:

KARADAG-SAYGI EVRIM, TURKEY

BURGER HELENA,  SLOVENIA

LEONARDI MATILDE, ITALY

MARNETOFT SVEN-UNO, SWEDEN

MELKAS SUSANNA, FINLAND

VAN WIJCK FREDERIKE, UNITED KINGDOM

VARJU CECILIA, HUNGARY

WEINBRENNER SUSANNE, DEUTSCHLAND

THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION-EFRR IS A POLITICALLY NEUTRAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WHICH STANDS UP FOR UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS BY ADVANCING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN ALL BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF REHABILITATION. THE OUTCOMES OF SUCH RESEARCH ARE IMPLEMENTED AND DISSEMINATED IN EUROPE AND INTERNATIONALLY WITH THE AIM OF IMPROVING THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL, VOCATIONAL, HEALTH-CARE AND REHABILITATION SERVICES AND THE STANDARDS OF PRACTICE IN THESE SERVICES, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL PEOPLE OF ALL COUNTRIES, AND IN PARTICULAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION CONDEMNS THE WAR, VIOLENCE, AGGRESSION AND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN UKRAINE. WE BELIEVE THAT INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE IS FUNDAMENTAL AND CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED, ESPECIALLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE HUMAN HEALTH IS UNDER SEVERE THREAT.

WE EXPRESS OUR SOLIDARITY TO ALL HEALTH AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS AND SCIENTISTS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE CARE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY IN WAR TERRITORIES AND TO ALL PEOPLE SUFFERING IN THESE DRAMATIC EVENTS.

WE HOPE THAT THE CONFLICT WILL END SOON AND THAT COLLEAGUES FROM UKRAINE AND RUSSIA WILL BE ABLE TO WORK AND MEET AGAIN WITH OTHERS FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL REHABILITATION COMMUNITY, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PATIENTS UNDER THE EFRR PREMISES, AS THEY HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS.

EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION COUNCIL:
HELENA BURGER, EFRR PRESIDENT, PRM SPECIALIST, SLOVENIA

SUSANNE WEINBRENNER, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, ANESTHESIOLOGIST, GERMANY

SVEN-UNO MARNETOFT, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, DOCTOR OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, SWEDEN

MATILDE LEONARDI, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, NEUROLOGIST, ITALY

SUSANNA MELKAS, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, NEUROLOGIST, FINLAND

EVRIM KARADAG SAYGI, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, PRM SPECIALIST, TURKEY

CECILIA VARJU, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, PRM SPECIALIST, HUNGARY

FREDERIKE VAN WIJCK, EFRR SECRETARY, HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENTIST, UK

FOUNDER: JOHN HUNTER  (UNITED KINGDOM)
1983-1985: JOHN HUNTER  (UNITED KINGDOM)
1985-1988: KURT-ALPHONS JOCHHEIM + (GERMANY)
1988-1992: BD BANGMA + (GERMANY)
1992-1995: SIMON MILLER + (UNITED KINGDOM)
1995-1998: JUHANI WIKSTRÖM (FINLAND)
1998-2001: MICHAEL SCHUNTERMANN (GERMANY)
2001-2004: ALBERTO HIDALGO DE CAVIEDES (SPAIN)
2004-2007: CRT MARINCEK (SLOVENIA)
2007-2008: HAIM RING + (ISRAEL)
2008-2009: GABOR FAZEKAS (HUNGARY) 
2009-2011: AIVARS VETRA (LATVIA)
2011-2013: GABOR FAZEKAS (HUNGARY)
2013-2015: GÜLSEREN AKYUZ (TURKEY)
2015-2017: AARNE YLINEN (FINLAND)
2017-2019: FREDERIKE VAN WIJCK (UNITED KINGDOM)
2019 – 2021 SUSANNE WEINBRENNER (GERMANY)
2021 - CURRENT HELENA BURGER (SLOVENIA)