Phd in INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

email: francesca.apollonio@uniroma1.it
phone: 0039 06 44585374
building: RM032
room: 471

GENERAL INFORMATION

Full Professor at the Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication, University Sapienza of Rome
PUBLONS: https://publons.com/researcher/1337430/francesca-apollonio/
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6937-9731

POSITIONS
2023: Full Professor – Electromagnetic Fields (ING-INF/02) at Sapienza University of Rome
2019: Associate Professor – Electromagnetic Fields (ING-INF/02) at Sapienza University of Rome
2000: Assistant Professor at Sapienza University of Rome
1998: PhD in Electronic Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome
1994: Master’s degree in electronic engineering University Sapienza of Rome

WORK EXPERIENCE
2023-now: Full Professor, DIET, Sapienza University of Rome
2019-2023: Associate Professor, DIET, Sapienza University of Rome
2000-2019: Assistant Professor, DIET, Sapienza University of Rome
1998-2000: Technical Support, Telecom Italia
1995-1996: Research Fellowship from AIRP

BIBLIOMETRICS (according to scopus database, August 2026)
Total Citations=3245
Hirsch (H) index=33
Journals & Books=130
Proceedings [international]=137

RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
Professor Francesca Apollonio is a Full Professor of Electromagnetic Fields at Sapienza University of Rome, with over 25 years of academic and research experience in applied electromagnetics and bioelectromagnetics. As a key member of the BioEMLab Group, which she helped establish and develop, she has made substantial contributions to the development of computational models and experimental methodologies for studying electromagnetic field interactions with biological systems, authoring more than 100 peer-reviewed journal papers and about 140 international conference contributions. She has led and participated in multiple national and European research projects (Horizon Europe, H2020, PRIN) and is the inventor of two patents in the biomedical applications of electromagnetic fields. Her leadership in the scientific community includes serving as Chair of URSI Commission K (Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine), member of the IEEE TC-28 Biological Effects and Medical Applications Committee, and Scientific Expert Group member of ICNIRP. Professor Apollonio has been invited keynote speaker and lecturer at major IEEE and international conferences (IMBioC, EuMW, BioEM) and has organized and chaired numerous technical sessions worldwide. She has supervised seven Ph.D. students, four post-doctoral fellows, and more than 90 master’s theses, demonstrating her commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers. Her pioneering work in electromagnetic dosimetry, therapeutic applications, and innovative diagnostic techniques has significantly advanced biomedical engineering and has been widely recognized at the international level.

AWARDS AND ROLES IN INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES
• 2026: TPC Co-CHAIR of the IEEE IMBioC2026, 26-29 April 2026, Rende, Italy
• 2025: TPC Co-CHAIR of the 4th Annual Conference of the BioEM Society, BioEM2025, 22-27 June 2025, Rennes, France
• 2024: General Co-CHAIR of the 5th World Congress on Electroporation and Pulsed Electric Fields in Biology, Medicine, Food & Environmental Technologies (WC2024), 15-19 September, 2024, Rome, Italy
• 2023-today: elected CHAIR of the International Commission URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine”
• 2022-today: MEMBER of the IEEE MTT-S TC-28 Biological Effects and Medical Applications Committee
• 2020-today: MEMBER of the ICNIRP Scientific Expert Group (SEG), Project Group on LF Guidelines
• 2019-today: CHAIR of the National Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine”.
• 2021-2023: elected VICE-CHAIR of the International Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine”
• 2019-2021: MEMBER of the LOC URSI GASS2021, 28 August-4 September 2021, Rome, Italy
• 2016-2021: NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, MIUR Action COST CA15211: “Atmospheric Electricity Network: coupling with the Earth System, climate and biological systems” (Electronet)
• 2011-2019: VICE-CHAIR National Commission CNR-URSI, Commission K “Electromagnetics in Biology and Medicine”.
• 2016-2017: MEMBER of the TPC for the BioEM2017 June 2017 Hangzou, China.
• 2015-2016: CHAIR of the TPC for the BioEM2016, June 2016 Ghent, Belgium.
• 2014-2018: MEMBER of the WG3 “EMF dosimetry: in silico tools & measurements” in the Action COST BM1309, EMF-MED
• 2014-2015: MEMBER of the TPC for the BioEM2015, June 2015 Asilomar, USA.
• 2013-2016: ELECTED MEMBER of the Board of Directors of the Bioelectromagnetics Society
• 2011: MEMBER of the LOC of the 10th EBEA Conference Rome 2011
• 2008-2012: EXPERT MEMBER in the Action COST BM0704
• 2004-2008: EXPERT MEMBER of the Technical Working Groups in EMF-NET, EU 6th Framework Program.
• 2001-2004: EXPERT MEMBER in the Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee (QAAC) of RAMP2001, Key Action 4, Environment and Health, EU 5th Framework Program.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY
• 2019 - Reviewer for ANVUR – VQR Team
• 2012-today: Supervisor of 7 PhD students and 4 Post-Doc Fellowship at DIET
• 2008-today: Supervisor of more than 90 students for master’s degree Theses (Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnology Engineering) and Bachelor (Clinical Engineering)
• 2013-2013: UIF (Università Italo-Francese), Member of Commission for the Evaluation of the Galileo Projects
• 2010-2014: Member of the Scientific Commission for the Framework Agreement Sapienza– ENEA (Cluster Biotechnology)
• 2008-2009: UIF (Università Italo-Francese), Member of Commission for the Evaluation of the Galileo Projects
• 2008-2008: MIUR, Member of the Commission for the Evaluation of the Integrated Actions Italy-Spain

TEACHING ACTIVITY
• 2022-today: Bioelectromagnetic Methodologies – Medicine and Surgery HT
• 2022-today: Bioelectromagnetic Interaction II – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2021-today: Bioelectromagnetic Interaction I – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2019-today: Therapeutic Applications of Low frequency Electromagnetic Fields– Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2003-today: Electromagnetic Fields – Clinical and Biomedical Engineering
• 2009-today: Electromagnetic Fields and Nanosystems for biomedical applications – Nanotechnology Engineering

INVITED SPEAKER
2025: INVITED lecturer at the 11th Course – “Advances in Electroporation-Based Therapy: from Principles to Clinical Applications”, at the E. Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
2024: INVITED Industrial Keynote at the Special Session Microwave Sensing Techniques for Biomolecules to Tissues, at EUMW2024, 22-27 September 2024, Paris, France
2023: INVITED panelist for the Special Session MTT-S Inter-Society Technology Panel Session – Biomedical Applications at EUMW2023, 17-22 September 2023, Berlin, Germany.
2023: INVITED lecturer at IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Biomedical Conference 2023 (IMBioC2023), 11-13 September 2023, Leuven, Belgium.
2022: INVITED KEYNOTE at the EUMW2022, Milan, September 2022
2022: INVITED lecturer at the Doctoral School of EUMW2022, Milan, September 2022
2021: INVITED lecturer at the Directed Energy Research Centre, Technology Innovation Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2021: INVITED lecturer at Czech National Radio Science Workshop for the Tutorial Commission K.
2019: INVITED KEYNOTE at the BioEM2019 Montpellier France, June, 2019
2019: INVITED lecturer at the European Microwave Week 2019, Paris France, September 2019
2018: INVITED lecturer at the BioEM2018, June, 2018
2017: INVITED lecturer at the 11th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EUCAP), Paris (FR), March, 2017
2017: INVITED lecturer at the COST BM1309 EMF-MED WG2, held in Prague (CZ), April, 2017
2011: INVITED lecturer at the 41st European Microwave Conference (EuMC), Manchester in October 2011.
2010: INVITED lecturer at the 5th COURSE on “Medical Applications of Electromagnetic Fields: Research and Therapy”, at the E. Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
2010: INVITED lecturer at the XXXth URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium Istanbul in August 2011
2006: INVITED lecturer at the International school of Bioelectromagnetics “Alessandro Chiabrera” at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for scientific culture
2005: INVITED lecturer at XXVIII General Assembly International Union of Radio Science, New Delhi, in the session "K01 -Interaction between EMF and Biosystems”

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS, AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS
2025: Session Chair at URSI AP-RASC2025 Sydney 17th – 22nd August 2025
2025: Session Chair at BioEM2025 Rennes, France, 22 – 27 June 2025
2025: Session Chair at the IEEE Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo (WPTCE) 2025, Rome Italy, 3 – 6 June, 2025
2024: Session Chair at URSI AT-RASC2024 Gran Canaria 19th – 24th May 2024
2024: Session Chair at BioEM2024 Chania, Crete, Greece, June 16–21, 2024
2023: Session Chair at URSI GASS2023 Sapporo 19th – 26th August 2023
2022: Session Chair at EuMW2022, Milan, 26th – 30th September 2022
2022: Session Chair at AT-AP-RASC2022, Gran Canaria, 29th May – 3rd June 2022
2021: Session Chair at URSI GASS2021, Rome, 28th August – 4th September, 2021
2019: Chair of the Focus Session at the European Microwave Week 2019, Paris France, 20 September – 4 October 2019
2019: Session Chair at PIERS2019, Rome, June, 2019
2015: Session Chair at BioEM2015 Asilomar, USA
2014: Session Chair at the BioEM2014 Cape Town, South Africa
2013: Session Chair at the BioEM2013 Thessaloniki, Greece
2012: Session Chair at the EuCAP2012 Prague, Czech Republic
2011: Session Chair at the 10th International Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA2011).
2011: Session Chair at EuCAP2011 held in Rome in April 2011
2009: Session Chair at BEMS 2009, Davos, Switzerland
2008: Session Chair at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Member of the following Societies:
o IEEE MTT-S
o IEEE Antennas and Propagation
o Electromagnetic and Compatibility
o ISEBTT
o previous European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA)
o previous Bioelectromagnetic Society (BEMS)
o IEEE Microwave Theory and Techinque Society – IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
o Bioelectromagnetics (BioEM)
o Società Italiana di Elettromagnetismo (SIEM)
o ICEmB - Centro Interuniversitario di ricerca sulle Interazioni fra Campi Elettromagnetici e Biosistemi.

EDITORIAL SERVICES
2026: TPC reviewer for IEEE MeMeA 2026
2025: TPC reviewer for IEEE MeMeA 2025
2015- today: Review Editor of Journal Frontiers in Public Health - Radiation and Health
2019-today: Editorial Board of Journal of Healthcare Engineering
2020-today: Editorial Board of Chemosensors
2010-today: Conference Editorial Board (CEB) IEEE EMBC
2005-today Reviewer of several International Journals (PUBLONS: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/1679535)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
2022 INVENTOR Italian PATENT 102021000030557: Detection of viruses via microwave dielectric spectroscopy
2017 INVENTOR in the European Patent: WO2017IB50236 20170117 FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE FOR APPLYING AN ELECTRIC FIELD TO THE HUMAN BODY

FUNDING FROM PROJECTS
• 2025 – INAIL BRiC 2025 – Collaborative Research Call (Italy)
• 2023 – Italian Minister University and Research – PNRR- PRIN 2022 – SMILE
• 2023 – Bando RiPREI Pilot Project - SCOVato: Innovative Methods for viral detection by means of multi-bands spectroscopy techniques (ISS)
• 2022 – European Project: 5G expOsure, causaL effects, and rIsk perception through citizen engagement (GOLIAT); call: HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02
• 2021 – European Project: Regeneration of Injured Spinal cord by Electro pUlsed bio-hybrid implant (RISEUP); call: H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
• 2021 – Sapienza University Project “Magnetoliposomes and their combination with hydrogels for controlled drug delivery mediated by pulsed electromagnetic fields”
• 2020 – ANSES, Programme national de recherche «Environnement Santé Travail»: Numerical Modelling of RF interaction with Thermal Receptors – Mechanisms and vivo/vitro experiments.
• 2020 – Sapienza University Project “Optimization of magnetic field remote controlled lipid vesicle nanocarriers”
• 2019 – Sapienza University Project “Liposome vesicles loading magnetic nanoparticles as optimal drug delivery nanosystems controlled by magnetic fields”
• 2018 – Sapienza University Project “Non-invasive stimuli-responsive nanocarriers activated by nanosecond pulsed electric field”
• 2016 – Sapienza University Project “Control of drug release from liposome vesicles using electromagnetic fields”
• 2015 – Sapienza University Project “The electromagnetic field as actuator of biocompatible nanosystems for drug delivery applications”
• 2014 – Contratto di Ricerca EMS (Electro Medical Systems) “Sviluppo di un software per la stima del campo elettrico indotto da bobine di TMS in modelli sferici cerebrali”
• 2011 – Joint Project “Life Nanoscience” Istituto Italiano Tecnologie (IIT) – Sapienza Università di Roma: A2-WP2-Task3: “Molecular Imaging of brain tumors”
• 2009 – Progetto di Ricerca e Innovazione (FARI) Sapienza
• 2009 – Progetto di Ricerca di Ateneo Federato di Scienza e della Tecnologia (AST)
• 2001 – MURST "Progetto Giovani Ricercatori”, Interazione tra campi elettromagnetici e tessuto nervoso: dalla modellistica alla verifica sperimentale

RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Mainly focused on the following lines:
Exposure Systems, biological experiments: design and implementation of electromagnetic systems suited to work as exposure systems for experiments in vitro, in vivo, and in humans.
Multiscale electromagnetic modeling of biological systems: development of computational frameworks describing the interaction between electromagnetic fields and biological systems across multiple spatial scales, from the human and organ level down to tissues, cellular structures, and molecular environments. This includes anatomically realistic simulations, modeling of heterogeneous tissues and interfaces, and the derivation of hydration-dependent dielectric properties based on microscopic and molecular mechanisms.
Electroporation: design of applicators for in vitro and in vivo applications and molecular modeling of pore formation dynamics and membrane response under electromagnetic stimulation.
Smart Drug Delivery, Electric and Magnetic fields: design of biocompatible nanosystems for targeted transport of therapeutic or diagnostic molecules, remotely activated by electric and/or magnetic fields.