Cochrane Rehabilitation Newsletter Issue 1 | March 2025

First Strategic Meeting of the Thematic Group at IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan

Catherine Spencer OBE, who served as the Cochrane Collaboration’s Chief Executive Officer since 2022, has decided to step down from the role.

Catherine has played a pivotal role in leading Cochrane through a period of transformational change, shaping a new strategy for a more evidence-informed world. Under her leadership, the organization has strengthened its reputation as a global leader in trustworthy evidence, expanding its reach and impact worldwide.

Reflecting on her time at Cochrane, Catherine expressed gratitude for working with talented colleagues, Board Members, and community members. She acknowledged their collective efforts in ensuring a bright future for the organization and fostering an environment that supports growth and success.

As Cochrane moves forward, Catherine extended her best wishes to the team as they continue to build on the organization’s achievements.

Chiara Arienti, Chair of the CERC-Humanitas University Unit of the  Thematic Group, will deliver a highly anticipated lecture at the 10th edition of the Journées Francophones de la Kinésithérapie (JFK) on April 3, 2025, from 10:45 to 11:45 AM at Corum, Montpellier.

Titled Cochrane: The GRADE Approach in Rehabilitation, the session will explore the GRADE system for assessing the certainty of evidence in systematic reviews, offering valuable insights for rehabilitation and evidence-based practice.

JFK has become a major event in the field, attracting over 2,000 participants in its previous edition. Organized in collaboration with partner associations and the French Society of Physiotherapy, the congress fosters knowledge exchange between research and clinical practice, featuring both French and international experts.

During the Reha-Kolloquium 2025, Stefano Negrini will give a keynote lecture titled “The Struggle for Evidence in Rehabilitation: A Look into the Future” , marking the 25th anniversary of the German Society for Rehabilitation Science (DGRW). His insights will shed light on the ongoing efforts to strengthen evidence-based practices in rehabilitation and explore future directions in the field.
The Reha-Kolloquium 2025 will take place from March 18 to 20 in Nuremberg, Germany. This highly anticipated event will bring together experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss the latest advancements and challenges in rehabilitation science and practice.

Two key presentations from leading experts will shape discussions during the Rehabveckan 2025 conference. Carlotte Kiekens will present on “CochraneRehab for Knowledge Translation to Impact Health Policy and Implement Evidence in Clinical Rehabilitation Practice.” Her talk will address how CochraneRehab plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between research and healthcare policies.

Additionally, Stefano Negrini will present “CochraneRehab for Improving Methodology in Rehabilitation Research.” His lecture will focus on refining research methodologies to enhance the quality and applicability of rehabilitation studies worldwide.

The Rehabveckan 2025 conference will take place in Umeå, Sweden, from May 20 to 22, focusing on the implementation of evidence-based rehabilitation. The event aims to foster collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to translate rehabilitation research into effective clinical practice.