Sara Rubinelli

Prof. Sara Rubinelli, PhD, is a Professor of Health Sciences with a focus on Health Communication at the University of Lucerne's Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine. She also serves as Scientific Coordinator of the Human Functioning Unit at Swiss Paraplegic Research and leads the Person-Centered Healthcare Group there. Her research integrates communication studies, disability theory, and public health, with emphases on health behavior change, patient empowerment, and evidence-based healthcare communication.

• Education: PhD in Argumentation Theory from the University of Leeds (UK), Classics and Philosophy from the Catholic University of Milan (Italy).
• Leadership: President of the European Association for Communication in Healthcare (EACH) since 2017.
• Key Research Themes: Spinal cord injury rehabilitation, pandemic communication strategies, digital health literacy, and health misinformation.

Her work bridges theoretical frameworks like argumentation theory with practical applications in healthcare settings, addressing challenges such as patient self-management and institutional crisis communication. She has contributed to international initiatives like the WHO's infodemic management guidelines and co-designed digital tools for pressure injury prevention in spinal cord injury populations.

Recent publications highlight her focus on health communication during crises (e.g., pandemic response), the role of digital literacy in safeguarding childhood, and longitudinal studies on spinal cord injury outcomes. Her interdisciplinary approach spans qualitative and quantitative methodologies, emphasizing participatory design with patients and caregivers.