Prof. Dr. Filiz Can is a Full Professor and is been working in Hacettepe University, Faculty Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation as a member of academy, lecturer, researcher and clinician. She is the chair of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Department and chair the units of Orthopaedic and Geriatric Rehabilitation. She is coordinator, lecturer and advisor for “Orthopaedic Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation” postgraduate program in Health Science Institute of Hacettepe University.
She is giving orthopaedic rehabilitation, manual therapy and geriatric rehabilitation lectures for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Up to date, she has completed 39 dissertations included master of science (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) disertations as an advisor. Her research studies are on orthopaedic rehabilitation, geriatric rehabilitation, sports injuries and manipulative therapy. She has published one book and is the author of 51 book chapters in national and international orthopedics and geriatrics textbooks and many articles in peerreviewed journals. She has been invited speaker or keynote speaker for many national and international congresses.
She has been a member of the organization or scientific committee in many congresses in national and international levels. She was the general secretary of the National Geriatric Physiotherapy Congresses which have been held on 2005, 2009 and 2012. She was also the general secretary of the 3 rd IPTOP Congress (World Congress of IPTOP) in Istanbul in 2006. She was the organiser and president of “Symposium on Education of Physiotherapy: ERWCPT Perspective in January 2020, Istanbul- Turkey.
She has been vice chair of working group in “Advancing Health and Well-Being into Old Age in National Commission on Aging” coordinated Prime Ministry State Planning Organization in Turkey and became one of editors of the Turkish National Reports for National Plan of Action to follow Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2002. She has been one of the chairs of the core groups for “National Guidelines of Physical Activity Meeting” and took place as writer of the chapter of the “National Guidelines of Physical Activity Book”. She has also worked and still working as a consultant commission member or a core group member in many meetings of The Health Ministry and The Ministry of Family and Social Policies. She is working as official Advisory Board Member in the Ministry of Family and Social Policies in Turkey for the last 8 years.
She has contributed 2 year’s work as a multi- professional team member of the Development Group for Dementia to the Development of World Health Organizations’s (WHO) Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation (PIR)
She is board member of “Turkish Physiotherapy Association” since 2016 as responsible member for international affair. She was the founding member of the Geriatric Physiotherapy Association (2003) and Orthopedic Physiotherapy Association (2015). She is the chair of “Turkish Geriatric Physiotherapy Association” and also chair of “Turkish Orthopedic Physiotherapy Association.” She has been elected as executive Committee Member of IPTOP (International Association of Physical Therapists working with Older People- Subgroup of World Confederation for Physical Therapy) in 2003 and became vice Chair of IPTOP in 2006.
She was the Chair of IPTOP between the years of 2007-2011. She has still a position in IPTOP as a member of Research Subgroup.
She has been elected as a member of “Education& Research Matters Working Group” of World Physiotherapy Europe Region in 2018 and she has been re-elected for the period of 2020-2022, 2022-2024 and 2024-2026. She has also worked for Cross Thematic Working Group (MSDs Workplace Group) between 2020-2022 and still working as a member of Musculoskeletal Disorders Satellite Group.
She served as the mentor and coordinator of the physiotherapy group in the Turkey Earthquake in 2023. He was also invited to become a Member of the Earthquake and Disaster Coordination Board of the Turkish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology in 2023. She has given many lectures in the national congresses and postgraduate courses about the role of physiotherapy in disaster management. She was also invited speaker in the discussion panel titled “Is Physiotherapy in Essential Service as Part of Emergency Response” in World Physiotherapy Congress 2023 in Dubai.
