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Bionics, pain & neurorehabilitation.

Two decades turning fundamental science into technologies people use every day: bionic limbs wired to the skeleton and nervous system, and treatments that free people from phantom limb pain.

01 / Bionics

Prostheses that become part of the body.

Prof. Ortiz Catalán led the development of the first prosthetic limb integrating directly into a patient’s bone, nerves and muscles (TEDx, 2014). The first person implanted with this neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis has used it in daily life for over 10 years, and people with these highly integrated bionic limbs can feel objects they touch through direct stimulation of the nerves severed by the amputation.

His bionics research spans surgical reconstruction for greater dexterity, neural interfaces, bioelectric signal acquisition electronics, machine-learning decoding of motor volition, and neurostimulation for sensory feedback. See the recent documentary by WIRED for an overview.

02 / Postamputation pain

A new understanding of phantom limb pain.

Beyond functional challenges, people with amputations often develop chronic neuropathic pain. Prof. Ortiz Catalán has done pioneering work on phantom limb pain (PLP), developing treatments based on machine learning and virtual and augmented reality now used around the world (video example): Phantom Motor Execution, PME (The Lancet, 2016) and Progressive Motor Training, PMT (JNER, 2026).

In 2018 he proposed the Stochastic Entanglement hypothesis for the origin of PLP, with a theoretical framework to better understand and treat it. His work has since expanded to pain from nerve injuries and stroke, including surgical approaches. More on phantom limb pain →

Prof. Ortiz Catalán giving a keynote lecture

03 / Neurorehabilitation

From the lab to the clinic.

The technologies developed for bionics and pain research are also applied to the rehabilitation of severe sensorimotor impairments, such as nerve injuries and stroke.

Publications

Published where it matters most.

First author of his most cited articles and first or senior author in more than 80% of his publications, including The Lancet, NEJM, Science Translational Medicine, Science Robotics and Nature Biomedical Engineering.

100⁺

Journal articles

Peer-reviewed

30⁺

Conference proceedings

International

50⁺

Scientific abstracts

Conferences

Book chapters

Invited

Patents

Medical technology

Highlighted publications

Selected scientific articles (chronological)

Ortiz-Catalan et al., A highly integrated bionic hand with neural control and feedback for use in daily life, Science Robotics, 2023, 8(11):eadf7360.
Zbinden J., ..., and Ortiz-Catalan M., Improved control of a prosthetic limb by surgically creating electro-neuromuscular constructs with implanted electrodes, Science Translational Medicine, 2023, 15 (704):eabq3665
Ortiz-Catalan et al., Neuromusculoskeletal arm prostheses, New England Journal of Medicine, 2020, 382(18):1732-1738
Ortiz-Catalan et al., Phantom motor execution facilitated by machine learning and augmented reality as treatment for phantom limb pain: a single group, clinical trial in patients with chronic intractable phantom limb pain, The Lancet, 2016, 388:2885-2894.
Ortiz-Catalan et al., Osseointegrated human-machine gateway for long-term stable sensory feedback and motor control of artificial limbs, Science Translational Medicine, 2014, 257re6.
Ortiz-Catalan M., et al., BioPatRec: A modular research platform for the control of artiﬁcial limbs based on pattern recognition algorithms, Code Source for Medicine and Biology, 2013, 8:11.

Theory

Theoretical innovation on phantom limb pain

Ortiz-Catalan M., Theoretical foundations of Progressive Motor Training (PMT) for Phantom Limb Pain, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2026, 23:5.
Ortiz-Catalan M., The Stochastic Entanglement and Phantom Motor Execution hypotheses: a theoretical framework for the origin and treatment of PLP, Frontiers in Neurology, 2018, 9:748.

News & views

A voice on every continent.

Keynotes, invited conference talks and guest lectures at universities and hospitals worldwide.

20⁺

Keynote lectures

International congresses

50⁺

Invited speaker

International conferences

50⁺

Invited lectures

Universities worldwide

Keynotes 20 talks+

07/2026AI for Good, Geneva, Switzerland
04/2026Bionic Reconstruction Conference (BReCON), Charlotte, USA.
11/2025Innovations in Rehabilitation, Rome, Italy .
05/2025Amputee Forum 2025, Melbourne, Australia.
11/2024International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR), La Granja, Spain.
07/2024IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC), Orlando, USA.
08/2022MEC Symposium, Fredericton, Canada.
11/2021World of Drones and Robotics Congress, Queensland, Australia.
05/2021LOGIN, Lithuanian Agency for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Lithuania.
03/2021Swedish Society for Biomechanics Annual Conference, Sweden.
10/2019International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics – ISPO World Congress, Kobe, Japan.
05/2018European Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania.
10/2017Congress of the French Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Nancy, France.
05/2017Osseo 2017, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
04/2017Annual Conference of the Swedish Technical Audiology Society, Gothenburg, Sweden.
03/2017International Conference of Advances in Orthopaedic Osseointegration, San Diego, USA.
11/2016Orto Medical Care, Madrid, Spain.
06/2016User Body Experience and HMI Assistive Robotics, Darmstadt, Germany.
05/2016OT World, Leipzig, Germany.
06/2015Conference of the International Graphonomics Society, Guadeloupe, France.

Invited conference talks 72 talks+

06/2026Sociedad Española de Rehabilitación y Medicina Física (SERMEF), Barcelona, Spain.
02/2026Annual Convention of Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation, Manila, Philippines.
11/2025ISPO France Congress, Lyon, France.
04/2025Oporto Biomedical Summit, Oporto, Portugal.
02/2025Returning Hands to our Heroes, Kyiv, Ukraine.
10/2024Sensory Integration in Neuroprostheses, Rehabilitation, and Humanoid Robots, Munich, Germany.
10/2024Biosafety and Modern Rehabilitation Technologies, Kyiv, Ukraine.
10/2024International Healthcare Summit, Kiev, Ukraine.
09/2024International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, Heidelberg, Germany.
05/2024OT World, Leipzig, Germany.
05/202416th Congress of the European Federation of Societies for Microsurgery, Milan, Italy.
11/2023Bionic Reconstruction Conference (BReCON), New York, USA.
11/2023International Healthcare Summit, Kiev, Ukraine.
10/2023Osseointegration and Bionic Limb Reconstruction, Bologna, Italy.
09/20233rd Orthopedic Trauma Congress, Melbourne, Australia.
08/20234th International Workshop on Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation, Chengdu, China.
05/2023FESSH-EFSHT (Fed. Eur. Soc. Surgery of the Hand and Hand Therapy) Congress, Rimini, Italy.
04/2023LokoAssist Symposium 2023, Darmstadt, Germany.
03/2023Boğaziçi LifeSci Symposium: Targeted Treatment Technologies, Istanbul, Turkey.
10/2022The British Society of Hand Surgery Scientific Meeting 2022, Winchester, England.
10/2022New Technologies in Neurorehabilitation and Motor Learning, Munich, Germany.
09/2022Amputation course by ISPO Sweden, Jönköping, Sweden.
09/20221er Encuentro en Avances Tecnológicos en Rehabilitación Física, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
09/2022Professional Day on post-amputation Pain by ISPO Norway, Oslo, Norway.
06/2022IFSSH, IFSHT & FESSH Combined congress, London, England.
05/2022StratNeuro Retreat, Sweden.
05/2022OT World, Leipzig, Germany.
03/2022IV Congreso Nacional sobre Técnicas Ortoprotésicas, Sevilla, Spain.
11/2021British Assoc. of Chartered Physiotherapist in Amputee Rehabilitation, Manchester, England.
08/2021Rotary Club Gothenburg, Sweden.
08/2021Orthotics Prosthetics Canada 2021 National Conference, Canada.
07/2021Blast Injury Conference, London, England.
06/2021FORUM 2021, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
06/2021STEM Fest: Semana de la Ingeniería, Mexico.
07/2020Online Workshop on Upper-limb Prosthetics, Newcastle University, England.
03/2020ISPO Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden.
10/2019World Congress of Neurology (XXIV), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
08/201927th Scandinavian Hand Society Congress, Tallin, Estonia.
06/201910th Congress of World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, Bologna, Italy.
03/2019Leva & Fungera (Nordic conf. for Assistive Technology and Accessibility), Gothenburg, Sweden.
11/2018 Association for Quality Assurance in Arm Prosthetics – Dialogue 2018, Dusseldorf, Germany.
10/2018Workshop 1010: The Maths of Biology, Mittag-Leffler Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
10/2018iMed Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.
07/2018 Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society (41st), Kobe, Japan.
06/2018Young Scientist Association Symposium (14th), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
06/2018IV Jornadas de Ortoprotesia (4th), Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Portugal.
04/2018Elektronikindustriföreningen i Göteborg (EIG), Gothenburg, Sweden.
01/2018ISPO UK Osseointegration Workshop, London, England.
11/2017ARMADA Talsk 2017, Stockholm, Sweden.
10/2017Svenskt Smärtforum (Swedish Pain Forum), Gothenburg, Sweden.
07/2017Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, Australia.
04/2017Leva & Fungera (Nordic conf. for Assistive Technology and Accessibility), Gothenburg, Sweden.
03/2017Handdagar (Swedish Society for Hand Rehabilitation), Malmö, Sweden.
02/2017Nordiskt Tvärfackligt Forum för Dysmeli och Armamputation, Stockholm, Sweden.
05/2016Restoration of Sensory and Motor Function Symposium, Göttingen, Germany.
02/2016TEDx Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico.
01/2016Kshitij, IIT Kharagpur, India.
12/2015Go:LIFE, Gothenburg, Sweden.
10/2015Epicenter Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
10/2015The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
03/2015International Conference on Advances in Orthopaedic Osseointegration (6th), Las Vegas, USA.
11/2014TEDx Göteborg (http://youtu.be/V4UQU4392wM), Gothenburg, Sweden.
10/2014Trans. Eng. in Neurorehabilitation (DEMOVE Symposium), Göttingen, Germany.
09/2014Life Science – National Day, Sep 30, 2014, Stockholm, Sweden.
08/2014Annual IEEE EMBC 2014, Chicago, USA.
06/2014Neural Interface Conference, Dallas, USA.
05/2014MedTech West Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden.
04/2014Myo-Seminar by Ottobock, Gothenburg, Sweden.
02/2014DARPA Sensorimotor Prosthetic Workshop, Phoenix, USA.
06/2013International TMR Symposium, Vienna, Austria.
09/2010Young Scientists Forum 2010 “From Laboratory to Clinics”, Gothenburg, Sweden.
09/2010Int. Conf. on Advances in Orthopaedic Osseointegration (3rd), Gothenburg, Sweden.

Invited guest lectures 70 lectures+

06/2026Guest lecture, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain.
05/2026Guest lecture, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
05/2026Guest lecture, Medical Rehabilitation Center Pushcha-Vodytsia, Pushcha-Vodytsia, Ukraine.
05/2026Guest lecture, Philippines General Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
10/2025Guest lecture, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy.
09/2025Guest lecture, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
08/2025Guest lecture, Kamianets-Podilskyi National University, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine.
06/2025Guest lecture, Vinnytsia Emergency Hospital, Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
05/2025Guest lecture, Kyiv Polytechnique Institute, Kiev, Ukraine.
11/2024Guest lecture, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
04/2024Guest lecture, Feofaniya Clinical Hospital, Kyiv, Ukraine.
04/2024Guest lecture, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.
08/2023Guest lecture, Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
07/2023Guest lecture, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia.
07/2023Guest lecture, Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
02/2023Guest lecture, University of Houston, Texas, USA.
12/2022Guest lecture, Rizzoli Orthopaedics Institute, Bologna, Italy.
08/2022Guest lecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
06/2022Seminar, Bionics Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
04/2022Guest lecture, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
02/2022Guest lecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
02/2022Guest lecture, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
12/2021Guest lecture, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
10/2021Guest lecture, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.
10/2021 Guest lecture, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
07/2021Guest lecture, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
03/2021Guest lecture, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
12/2020Guest lecture, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
06/2020Guest lecture, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
06/2019Guest lecture, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA.
06/2019Guest lecture, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
06/2019Guest lecture, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
03/2019Guest lecture, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
02/2019Guest lecture, Uni. of North Carolina & North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, USA.
08/2018Guest lecture, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly RIC), Chicago, USA.
03/2018Guest lecture, Rigshospitalet – University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
02/2018Guest lecture, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
02/2018Guest lecture, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan.
01/2018Guest lecture, Univ. of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, Linz, Austria.
09/2017Guest lecture, University of Monash, Melbourne, Australia.
09/2017Guest lecture, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
04/2017Guest lecture, Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago, Chile.
03/2017Guest lecture, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
03/2017Biomed series lecture, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada.
11/2016Guest lecture, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
11/2016Guest lecture, Univ. of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, Wels, Austria.
09/2016MedTech West Seminar, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
07/2016Guest lecture, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
05/2016Guest lecture, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
12/2015Guest lecture, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
12/2015Guest lecture, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
11/2015Guest lecture, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
11/2015Guest lecture, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden.
06/2015Guest lecture, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
04/2015Guest lecture, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, USA.
03/2015Guest lecture, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
11/2014Guest lecture, University Rehabilitation Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
04/2014Colloquium, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
03/2014Café-å-lär, Applied Physics Dept., Chalmers University of Technology (CTH), Sweden.
07/2013Workshop on Advances in Hybrid Organs (2nd), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
05/2013Medical Physics (MSc course), Applied Physics Department, CTH, Sweden.
04/2013MedTech West Seminar, CTH, Gothenburg University (GU), Univ. of Borås, and VGR, Sweden.
04/2013Lunch Bunch (PhD seminar), Applied Physics Dept., CTH, Sweden.
03/2013Guest lecture, LIRMM, U. Montpellier and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France.
03/2013Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine (PhD course), Biomaterials Dept., GU, Sweden.
10/2012Graduate School (PhD seminar), Applied Mechanics Dept., CTH, Sweden.
12/2011Medical signals and system with electricity (BSc course), Bioengineering, CTH, Sweden.
’15 –’21Medicine for Engineers (MSc course), Signals and Systems Dept., CTH, Sweden.
’12 –’21Biomedical Instrumentation (MSc course), Signals and Systems Dept., CTH, Sweden.
’11 –‘13Biomedicine for Business Creation and Entrepreneurs (MSc course), Gothenburg Int. Biosci. Business School, GU, Sweden.