- Biomechatronics
Francesca Riccio-Ackerman is a PhD student at MIT's Biomechatronics Group and K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, specializing in prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) care in post-conflict and humanitarian settings. Her research applies implementation science frameworks to health system strengthening in fragile states, bridging acute humanitarian response and long-term reconstruction. She combines rigorous mixed-methods research with partnership-based approaches to address health disparities in conflict-affected populations.
As lead graduate researcher for a multi-year partnership with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Francesca has developed and evaluated a comprehensive P&O system strengthening strategy spanning workforce development, infrastructure investment, supply chain management, and service delivery expansion. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), her dissertation evaluates implementation processes, outcomes, and sustainability of this six-objective intervention, producing evidence for replication in similar contexts. The partnership has created a model for sustainable, government-led rehabilitation services in post-conflict settings.
Francesca is a founding member and researcher with Limb & Life, an international research collective addressing critical rehabilitation needs in Gaza, Palestine. The collective brings together Gaza-based and international academics, healthcare professionals, and humanitarian partners to investigate mobility needs, service capacity, and requirements for locally-led rehabilitation systems. Their work, accepted for presentation at the American University of Beirut's Research in Crisis Settings Conference and the American Public Health Association Annual Conference, contributes evidence for humanitarian response and reconstruction planning in conflict-affected regions.
Her research portfolio includes clinical epidemiology examining amputation and limb injury patterns across historical and contemporary conflicts, providing comparative analysis essential for understanding the scale and nature of rehabilitation needs in these settings. Her work lies at the intersection of implementation science, global health systems research, and humanitarian health, with expertise spanning the full conflict lifecycle from acute crisis response through sustained system reconstruction.
Francesca holds a Master's degree in Health Economics and Policy from SDA Bocconi (Milan) and a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Florida International University. Prior to MIT, she contributed to advanced prosthetic arm development and worked as a Research Specialist in the MIT Media Lab, where she documented medically neglected communities and developed approaches to improve global P&O care alongside Dr. Hugh Herr.