Curriculum: Animal and Human Biology, and Ecology

Supervisor: Elisabetta Marini

Co-Supervisor: Myosotis Massidda

Curriculum Vitae

Federica received her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences with highest honors from the University of Cagliari in 2022. She worked on a thesis titled “Evaluation and Training of Coordination Skills in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders” under the supervision of Prof. Filippo Tocco.

In the same year, she started a Master’s degree in Adapted Physical Activities at the University of Cagliari, graduating with the highest honors in 2024. Her thesis, entitled “Comparison Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness Estimated by the 6MWT and VO2max Measured by CPET in Adolescents”, was supervised by Prof. Filippo Tocco.

She is currently a PhD student (Cycle XL) in the PhD programme in Life, Environmental and Drug Sciences (Animal and Human Biology, and Ecology curriculum), under the supervision of Prof. Elisabetta Marini. Her research, funded by a PNRR scholarship (M.D. 630/2024) and POEMA srl, focuses on the development of a multi-frequency bioimpedance prototype for body composition assessment.

Her main areas of interest include anthropometry and body composition assessment, with a focus on the application of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

Research Topic

Development of a prototype multi-frequency bioimpedance device for body composition measurement

Abstract

Federica Frau's PhD project focuses on the development of a prototype of multi-frequency bioimpedance device (MF-BIA) for body composition measurement. Bioimpedance analysis is a widely used technique to assess body composition and hydration status. Despite the advantages of simplicity and non-invasiveness, current commercial MF-BIA devices have significant limitations, including high costs, poor portability and limited accessibility.

The primary aim of the project is, therefore, to create a compact, low-cost, and versatile prototype, suitable for clinical, research, sports, and preventive contexts. The project methodology includes several phases: literature review, prototype design, development, validation, and optimization. It will be developed in collaboration with the company POEMA S.r.l., which will handle the electronic prototyping, firmware writing, and performance optimization.

The prototype will be designed to allow both single-frequency (50 kHz) and multi-frequency analysis, offering versatility in the application of conventional and semi-quantitative approaches. Validation will involve comparisons with others BIA devices, and with reference techniques such as isotope dilution, considered the gold standard for hydration status. The validation phases will take place at the University of Cagliari and the Faculty of Human Kinetics at the University of Lisbon. Expected outcomes include the development of a reliable and accurate prototype, with prospects for low-cost commercialization. and application in various settings.

The interpretation of the results will be carried out in accordance with the methodological principles and framework promoted by the International BIA Database Project (https://labes.fmh.ulisboa.pt/projetos/a-decorrer/item/101-bia-international-database), to ensure methodological consistency, alignment with current international standards and to support the comparability of results.

Publications

IRIS: https://iris.unica.it/cris/rp/rp112977

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4568-0316