Farah is a physiotherapist specializing in trauma therapy at the Centre for Victims of Torture/Regional Office (CVT), based in Amman. With a master’s degree in Applied Neuroscience and extensive experience in trauma rehabilitation over eight years, Farah has been a member of CVT since 2016. In 2018, she completed the NGO program in humanitarian leadership at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, further enhancing her field expertise. Farah is an expert in providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to organizations working with trauma survivors. She played a pivotal role in supporting trauma rehabilitation centers in conflict-affected regions across the Middle East, delivering specialized training and mentorship to interdisciplinary teams. She has presented on trauma physiology at a training day for UK chartered physiotherapists working in Mental Health and at the 1st Scientific Conference of the College of health Sciences at Hawler University in Iraq. Farah’s passion for staff care practices and sustainable systems is evident in her ongoing mentorship efforts, supporting human rights defenders and survivor-led organizations across the region.

Naoki Akiyoshi is a distinguished physiotherapist, regarded for his expertise in clinical reasoning and decision-making. With a PhD in Health and Welfare Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Science, he has a strong academic foundation that complements his practical experience as a physiotherapist. Dr Akiyoshi’s ability to analyze complex cases and develop tailored treatment plans has been instrumental in his successful career. His research publications on topics like functional disorders and injury prediction demonstrate his commitment to advancing the field of physiotherapy through evidence-based practice and research. His holistic approach to patient care, combined with his strategic clinical reasoning skills based on data-driven decision-making, sets him apart as a professional in sports rehabilitation and valuable contributor to this focussed symposium.
Recent publication:
Koshino, Y., Takabayashi, T., Akuzawa, H. et al. Differences and relationships between weightbearing and non-weightbearing dorsiflexion range of motion in foot and ankle injuries. J Orthop Surg Res 19, 115 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-024-04599-x

Nihad A. Almasri, PT (Ph.D.), is a professor of pediatric physiotherapy at the University of Jordan. She has an MSc from Pittsburgh University and a Ph.D. from Drexel University PA, USA in rehabilitation sciences with a focus on pediatric physiotherapy. She also works as a specialized pediatric physiotherapist at Sidra Medicine in Qatar. Prof. Almasri has served as a consultant for World Physiotherapy and other NGOs. Her expertise has been sought in evaluating service delivery systems and shaping entry-level physiotherapy programs, both nationally and internationally. She also participated as a working group member in the development of competency frameworks for rehabilitation. Within her research pursuits, Prof. Almasri focuses on public health, pediatric rehabilitation, and the evaluation of medical and rehabilitation services for children with conditions like cerebral palsy and complex movement disorders. She has been a driving force behind the creation of registries for children with CP on a national scale, along with the formulation of outcome measures tailored to Middle Eastern contexts. Prof. Almasri’s contributions have been recognized internationally, earning her multiple awards that acknowledge her research in the field.

Elizabeth is a qualified physiotherapist from the UK and has worked in Sierra Leone since June 2021 with World Hope International (WHI) on their Enable the Children program. She is currently completing a master’s in Global Health from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and completing her thesis on healthcare healthcare-seeking behavior of people with disabilities in Sierra Leone. She presented at World Physio in Dubai 2023 on the experiences of caregivers accessing rehabilitation services in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and presented a poster at World Physio in Geneva 2019 on the benefits of team sport participation for children living with cerebral palsy. She is a lecturer at the Tonkolili District College of Health Sciences in Sierra Leone in both the Diploma and BSc programs for physiotherapy and provides coordination and technical support on clinical placements. As part of her role, she manages a team of 8 rehabilitation therapists to provide physiotherapy to over 800 CLWD in Freetown and provides technical advice and support to government and non-governmental partners through supporting the activities of the national physical rehabilitation program.

Dr. Ashokan Arumugam is an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Sharjah (UOS), United Arab Emirates (UAE). He has a special interest in physical activity analysis in sedentary and diseased populations and biomechanical analyses of the lower limbs. He received his PhD with a doctoral scholarship from the School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, New Zealand. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Umeå University, Sweden. He received the UOS Annual Incentive Award for Research (20000 AED) in 2023. He is the PI of many funded projects investigating factors associated with accelerometer-measured physical activity levels in different populations of the UAE (Emirati women, children, young adults, and individuals recovered from COVID-19). He has successfully received ≈800,000 AED as primary/co-applicant from UOS and external sources. He has supervised four doctoral candidates, 14 master students, and >50 bachelor’s degree students. He has >74 publications in Scopus-indexed journals. He had worked as a clinician and/or an academic in various professional capacities in India, New Zealand, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia. He is an Associate Editor of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders and a member of the Sedentary Behavior Research Network, International Society for Physical Activity and Health, Emirates Physiotherapy Society, and Indian Association of Physiotherapists.

Hilal Ata Tay (MSc) is a physiotherapist, PhD Candidate, and research assistant at Marmara University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, in Turkey. Her PhD research is a randomised controlled trial examining the effectiveness of pain science education in people with knee osteoarthritis. Hilal’s main research interests are exploring the beliefs and attitudes of people with chronic pain, particularly knee osteoarthritis, with particular emphasis on cross-cultural perspectives, and investigating effective culturally specific strategies for incorporating pain science principles into rehabilitation practice. She is currently working on the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Osteoarthritis Knowledge Scale into Turkish.

Dr. Jennifer Audette, PT, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of New England in Portland, Maine (USA). She has been in academic positions for the last 20 years and has an astute understanding of contemporary physical therapist education issues and accreditation expectations.
Dr. Audette served on the workgroup that created the World Physiotherapy Guidelines for Physical Therapist Entry-level Education. She served in leadership roles on the Board of the American Physical Therapy Association, Global Health Special Interest Group for 15 years. In 2024 she was honored with this organization’s Dr. Ronnie Leavitt Award for Leadership in the Promotion of Social Responsibility. She served on the Physical Therapy Steering Committee for Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), and in 2019 she was honored with HVO’s Golden Apple Award. In April 2022 she was elected to the Executive Board for the North America Caribbean Region for World Physiotherapy. She has done volunteer teaching and curricular development work in Suriname, Haiti, and Guatemala. She is a 2020 graduate of the American Physical Therapy Association, Fellowship in Education Leadership.
Dr. Audette’s scholarly presentations and publications are in the areas of best practice for international student experiences, international collaboration, and social justice and responsibility.

Dr. Manuela Besomi is a Physiotherapist and Research Fellow within the NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health and the Sports Injury Rehabilitation and Prevention for Health (SIRPH) Research Unit at The University of Queensland, Australia. She also holds an honorary position in the Physiotherapy Department at Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile), where she leads a clinical team focused on running injury management and prevention research.
Manuela obtained her master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, followed by a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland in 2021. Her research spans fundamental and applied areas, ranging from leveraging innovative technologies to investigate tissue mechanics to enhancing care management through telehealth and implementation research.
As part of her research endeavours, Manuela is dedicated to translating knowledge into practice and actively engages with the community. She is an instructor and collaborator at The Running Clinic and co-founder of the SeRUN® project (@serun.chile), both initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between research and practical application.
As an early-career researcher, Dr. Besomi remains committed to advancing knowledge and making a positive impact in the fields of physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and sports sciences.

Dr Marie-Louise Bird is an Australian registered Physiotherapist, whose main focus of research is to improve engagement with relevant types of physical activity and exercise, with the goal of improving participation in meaningful activities. She currently investigates the application of a number of knowledge translation tools to impact clinical practice, with a vibrant publishing record with four publications this year alone (April 2024). She has presents internationally regularly, including The World Congress of Physiotherapy in Dubai (2023) and the World Congress on Neurorehabilitation (Vancouver, 2024). She actively engages end users of her research with integrated knowledge translation approaches and is passionate about health literacy and extending the reach of the health care system into communities to improve transitions in care. She leads an interprofessional health literacy responsiveness team, with staff from each school in the College of Health and Medicine, that serves over 12000 students.

Dr. Julie Broderick PhD, MSc, BSc, is the current Head of the Discipline of Physiotherapy in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and an Assistant Professor. She is a past Health Research Board Research Fellow (2008-2012) and a Cochrane Fellow (2015-2017). She has a unique interest in the area of inclusion health and there is a uniting theme of inclusivity and social justice across her work.
Her previous clinical work as a physiotherapist has guided her research interest at the intersections of chronic disease, social exclusion and health equity. She is particularly committed to the area of physical health in people experiencing homelessness and she leads an active research programme focusing on optimising physical and wider health outcomes for this group. She has lectured widely nationally and internationally, and a number of publications have emanated from her work.

Dr Samantha Bunzli is a Senior Research Fellow in Physiotherapy who holds a conjoint position between the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at Griffith University and the Physiotherapy Department at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. In her program of musculoskeletal research, Sam engages stakeholder (patient, clinician, community) voices through qualitative methods. Her research investigating the beliefs, behaviours and treatment experiences of people with persistent pain has advanced person-centred communication in musculoskeletal care. Her communication frameworks have impacted policy (e.g. Australian clinical care standards for knee osteoarthritis) and practice (e.g. Osteoarthritis Health Professionals Training Manual 2023). Together with Brooke Conley, Sam co-led the Staying Moving, Staying Strong project to co-design arthritis information resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Lotta Carlsson is a project manager at the Helsinki Deaconess Foundations Istanbul Protocol training project. She has worked at the Helsinki Rehabilitation Centre for torture survivors for 15 years and is also lecturing crisis psychology at Åbo Akademi University. She has a history working as one of the team members at the Helsinki Deaconess Foundations EXIT2020 project. As an Exit worker, she was doing client work, clinical supervision, and consultations. Her background in war trauma and torture rehabilitation made her want to learn more about war crimes, so she further educated herself in war crime investigation. She is a physiotherapist, psychotherapist and clinical counselor, and an expert of Radicalisation Awareness Networks Health working group. She started her mandate as the Finnish delegate to Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) in December -23. Lotta has hosted regular webinars and conferences nationally and internationally for the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims.

Lilian Carvalho, PhD is a physician specialized in Rehabilitation Medicine and an early career researcher with focus on stroke rehabilitation. In 2023, she completed her PhD at The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Australia, where she now works as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Lilian has >30 manuscripts and conference abstracts published in peer-reviewed journals. In the last 5 years, Lilian has published 11 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, with 2 first-author manuscripts under review. She has also presented her work at several conferences and meetings as an invited speaker and oral presentations. Recently, Lilian was awarded the esteemed Stroke Society of Australasia New Investigator Acute Care Award for her PhD project studying the effects of upright positioning on cerebral haemodynamics in acute stroke. She co-leads the International Early Research Career Group as part of the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance (ISRRA) (a 500+ member group), which will be launched in 2024. Lilian’s work aims to tackle the enormous burden of stroke worldwide.

She holds a university degree in Physiotherapy, a postgraduate certificate in Orthopedic Physiotherapy, and a specialization in Aquatic Physiotherapy accredited by the Federal Council of Physiotherapy in Brazil. Currently, she is completing a master’s degree in Geriatrics and Gerontology. With teaching experience in Sport Sciences at Estacio de Sá University in Brazil (2000-2010), she brings 35 years of clinical experience in aquatic activities and rehabilitation, focusing primarily on elderly populations, her main interest.
Over the past five years, she has served as a physiotherapist and coordinator of the geriatric unit and technical group of aquatic physiotherapy, as well as the Director of Aquatop and Fisiotop Company in Brazil. Additionally, she is the technical coordinator at the Professional Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Association (CREFITO2) and a member of the board of directors of the Brazilian Association of Aquatic Physiotherapy.
She has been a speaker at several national congresses in Brazil, where she has addressed topics such as aquatic physiotherapy in knee and hip arthroplasty. Moreover, she has participated in international congresses, including the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute (ATRI) in the USA in 2023. Furthermore, she has been involved in the organizing committee of International Congresses of Aquatic Physiotherapy by ABFA

Associate Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and PhD candidate. Researching skill mix/ task shifting/ task sharing in primary care for people with musculoskeletal conditions, project title: Task shifting in primary care: framework development, workforce training, and opportunities for service improvement. I have an extensive background in both physiotherapy education and musculoskeletal practice, I hold a Master of Science degree in Manual Therapy from Manchester Metropolitan University and I am Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). With over two decades of academic and professional experience I have contributed to developing the educational landscape in institutions across the UK, Australia, and Norway. I have experience from running a multidisciplinary Masters-level module preparing allied health professionals for the emerging First Contact Practitioner role in the UK. Clinically, I’ve developed my physiotherapy skills within multidisciplinary teams in both public and private practices, and in occupational health settings.

Ruby Chin A Fat is a lecturer and an early career researcher at the Physiotherapy department of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Suriname is a middle-income country located on the north-east coast of South America. Her research focus is on the early detection and intervention of Cerebral Palsy. She is in charge of the Surinamese Cerebral Palsy Register and Chair of the Sport, Mi Kan Du Foundation, an adapted sports program for children with a motor disability in Suriname. Ruby is a physiotherapist with a focus on home-training of children with a motor disability. In the past 5 years, she has been involved in international BIP programs where she gave multiple presentations on Rehabilitation in Low and Middle Income Countries and mentored international students on intercultural and multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Through different projects, she is involved in raising awareness on Cerebral Palsy (CP), family engagement and inclusion of children with a disability especially in the field of sports participation. She is also involved in projects that increase opportunities and the quality of CP treatments in Suriname. Recent abstract presentations and publications included case studies and the results of the Surinamese CP Register. In the coming year, she will give 2 presentations on the early detection of CP in Low and Middle Income Countries in 2 focused symposia during 2 congresses.

Brooke Conley (BExSci, MPhysio) is a proud Aboriginal (Ngiyampaa) woman, physiotherapist, and PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne, within the Department of Physiotherapy.
Her research interests are centered around improving musculoskeletal care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing, with her PhD research informing the development of evidence-based, culturally informed arthritis education resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ in Australia (Staying Moving, Staying Strong project).

Dr Ben Darlow (BPhty, MSportPhysio, PhD) is a musculoskeletal physiotherapy specialist practising in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand and an Associate Professor in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago Wellington. Ben’s key research interests are the assessment and measurement of health beliefs about common musculoskeletal conditions, understanding how these beliefs have been influenced and the impact that these have on well-being, and designing, testing, and implementing interventions to improve knowledge, health care delivery, and outcomes. Ben has led development of information resources for people with knee osteoarthritis and leads Te Tauwhiro Turi mā te Rongoā | Knee Care for Arthritis through Pharmacy Study that is testing an interdisciplinary health care intervention for people with knee osteoarthritis. Ben has also led development the Osteoarthritis Knowledge Scale, a tool for assessing osteoarthritis knowledge in community, clinical, and research settings.

Jo Dawes is a physiotherapist and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow based in the Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, within the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, at University College London, UK. She is currently working on several research projects, including exploring frailty in people experiencing homelessness, physical activity interventions for excluded groups and recently completed work looking at the impact of the COVID pandemic on people experiencing homelessness. She has co-led the Homeless and Inclusion Health module at UCL. She has worked as a physiotherapist in various National Health Service settings in the UK, including eight years in Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust, within a specialist health and social care team for people experiencing homelessness. Jo contributes to the work of homelessness charity, Crisis, having developed a physiotherapy service, which runs alongside other health services during the Christmas week. Prior to moving to UCL, Jo was a Senior Lecturer in physiotherapy at St George’s, University of London.

Miriam is an experienced physiotherapist and a sociology PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, Australia. She has worked in various areas of physiotherapy before focusing on chronic pain physiotherapy over the last 8 years. She completed a masters in musculoskeletal physiotherapy at the University of Queensland, before undertaking her doctoral research. Miriam’s research takes a critical approach, utilising a variety of sociology theories and qualitative methodologies to challenge taken for granted norms within physiotherapy care. Her research traces distress in persistent pain care exploring how distress is produced within the clinic, and how it is recognised and navigated by physiotherapists. Miriam is passionate about increasing awareness of the social, cultural and emotional aspects of health and illness experiences and care, in order to provide more equitable and care for all people.

Dr. Faizah Abdullah Djawas, a distinguished academic at Universitas Indonesia, has forged a noteworthy path in physiotherapy with a Master of Biomedical Science specializing in Physiology. Her academic excellence is mirrored by her laudable GPA. With a profound commitment to advancing women’s health, her scholarly focus lies in the investigation and management of lumbar and pelvic pain. Dr. Djawas is a trailblazer in the adaptation of tele-physiotherapy methodologies to improve maternal well-being within Indonesia. As the founder of GET Fisio, she leads a dedicated team in providing specialized women’s health services and promotes health education. In her pivotal role as Head of International Affairs and Public Relations for the Indonesian Physiotherapy Association, Dr. Djawas embodies leadership with a global vision. Her development is marked by significant contributions to the international physiotherapy dialogue, highlighting her stature as both an influential educator and a catalyst for change in women’s healthcare.

Associate Professor Fiona Dobson is a registered physiotherapist with more than 30 years of clinical, academic and research experience. She is Head of the Physiotherapy department, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, at the University of Melbourne and is a Sir Robert Menzies Foundation Allied Health Scholar. Her current research focuses on the role of physical activity and exercise for people living with chronic musculoskeletal health conditions, including hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Fiona’s research expertise includes outcome measurement, systematic reviews and meta-analysis and exercise clinical trials. Her current research aims to better understand how exercise and physical activity improves joint health, pain and physical function for people living with hip and knee osteoarthritis. She has led an international taskforce to develop physical function outcome measures for hip and knee OA research and clinical practice. This work has informed international clinical practice guidelines, models of health care and health care standards and an instruction manual with videos is freely available on the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) website

Simone Dorsch PhD, MHlthSci, BAppSci(Physio) is an associate professor at the Australian Catholic University. Simone’s research focuses on activity limitations after stroke and the delivery of intensive rehabilitation. Her recent publications include; two systematic reviews on the effectiveness of task-specific training compared to Bobath therapy after stroke and a review on the delivery of tele-rehabilitation after stroke. These reviews have been widely cited and Simone has been invited to be a keynote presenter at two international physiotherapy conferences to present this research.
Simone is a director of the StrokeEd collaboration, an education company that offers evidence-based workshops and lectures to improve the knowledge and clinical practice of allied health professionals and improve the delivery of rehabilitation services to stroke survivors. She is a leader in education regarding the implementation of evidence-based practice in neurological rehabilitation as evidenced by many invitations to teach internationally. She has taught over 40 neurological rehabilitation workshops in countries including Denmark, Qatar, Switzerland, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Nepal, Chile and Ireland. Simone is on the Practice working group of the International Neurological Physiotherapy Association and has been involved in the development of a website with interactive forums to aid international collaboration in neurological physiotherapy.

Dr. Sabrina Eggmann (SWITZERLAND) is a senior physiotherapist at the Inselspital Bern University Hospital in Switzerland since 2006. She is further a lecturer at Bern University of Applied Sciences, where she developed two postgraduate courses for physiotherapists in critical care. Her education includes an MSc diploma in Neurorehabilitation from the Danube University Krems, Austria, a postgraduate diploma in Critical Care from Cardiff University, Wales, UK and a PhD from Maastricht University, Netherlands. Her research topic is early mobilisation and measurement instruments for rehabilitation in critical care. She has published a randomised controlled trial in the field and extensively researched cardiorespiratory effects and adverse events.

Jean-Francois Esculier graduated in Physiotherapy from the University of Ottawa in 2009. He completed a Masters of research and a PhD at Universitè Laval on the topic of patellofemoral pain in runners (rehabilitation approaches, running biomechanics and footwear). He also did a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia, where he conducted studies related to running and knee osteoarthritis. He is still an active researcher and has become an international reference in those fields. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles (mostly about running and knee pain) and has delivered 77 presentations at scientific conferences and clinician gatherings around the world (5 keynotes, 57 invited).
JF is a passionate clinician-researcher-educator. He’s a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of British Columbia, where he teaches to physiotherapy and medical students. He also leads The Running Clinic’s Research & Development division which conducts research on running injuries. JF practices as a clinician, working mostly with runners and triathletes of all ages through his clinic, MoveMed Physiotherapy, in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

Rachel is a Physiotherapy Consultant in Primary Care in Greymouth, New Zealand. She was the pilot lead and clinician to design and implement physiotherapy integrated into primary care for Te Tai o Poutini West Coast locality. Her work on this pilot won a System Impact and Innovation Excellence award. Rachel is currently working on her master’s thesis with Auckland University of Technology. Her research will add to the growing body of evidence of patient experiences of first contact physiotherapy roles in primary care.

Ivan Florez is a Pediatrician, with a Master in Clinical Epidemiology, and a Ph.D. in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Antioquia (Medellin, Colombia) and Assistant Professor (Part-Time) at McMaster University (Canada). Former Deputy Director of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the Health Technology Assessment Agency of Colombia (IETS).
Dr. Ivan Florez is the current Leader of the AGREE Collaboration, is the editor in chief of Clinical and Public Health Guidelines (Official journal of GIN), was the Co-chair of the Recommending Working group for the COVID-END initiative, and is currently the Director of Cochrane Colombia. He is also a member of Cochrane’s Conflicts of Interests panel since 2020. His research has focused on CPG (development and implementation methods), Knowledge Synthesis (Systematic reviews, and Network Meta-analysis), Pediatrics, Childhood Gastroenteritis, and conflicts of interests.

Ilona is a UK trained Physiotherapist, based currently in South Africa. For the last 19 years, she has been living and working internationally in countries including Uganda, Indonesia, Laos Jordan and the US training and supporting physiotherapists in diverse settings. She has been working in the field of Trauma and Torture rehabilitation since 2009. Currently, she works as a Clinical Advisor for Physiotherapy for The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) managing and guiding the clinical quality of the physiotherapy services in Jordan and Iraq. Most recently she presented at the 2023 WPA congress in Dubai on ‘Trauma-focused physiotherapy: From Practice to Education’. Prior to this, she presented CVT’s physiotherapy approach at the International Organization of Physiotherapists in Mental Health in Athens, May 2022 and at the WPA congress in 2021, she chaired a seminar on ‘Unpacking Complex Trauma Based Interventions’.

April Gamble earned their Doctor of Physical Therapy in the USA. They have been living full time in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since 2017. They have over ten years of experience in community-driven efforts to develop persistent pain, mental health, and trauma-focused rehabilitation. April is the Senior Health Advisor in UK-Med where they lead the integration of rehabilitation and mental health and psychosocial support into disaster responses and the most globally deployed Emergency Medical Team. April is the Physiotherapy Director at Wchan Organization for Human Rights Violations in Kurdistan, leading interdisciplinary rehabilitation services for survivors of torture and war trauma. They are also one of the founding members of the Community of Practice for Fostering Excellence in Trauma-Informed Pain Rehabilitation, a group of rehabilitation professionals from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region collaborating to promote contextually relevant pain care in the region. April contributes to funding efforts, research activities, program and service development projects, and professional education initiatives in the USA, Kurdistan, Federal Iraq, Armenia, and the greater MENA Region. In addition to numerous conference presentations, April’s publication credits include textbooks chapters in international texts and clinical research trials and systematic reviews in peer reviewed international journals.

Dr. Chanan Goyal’s educational qualification includes MPT (Paediatrics), PhD (Neuro-Physiotherapy), Certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment from NDTA, USA and Certification in Sensory Integration from University of Southern California, USA. Currently she is working as a Demonstrator, Government Physiotherapy College and as Director, BrainChild, Raipur, India. She has a rich clinical experience of 10 years in dealing with children with special needs and 6 years of teaching experience. She has presented research at APTA’s combined sections meeting 2023. She also presented poster and chaired a session at World Physiotherapy Congress, Dubai, 2023. She has been awarded for best paper/ poster presentation at various National Conferences. She was conferred upon with ‘Outstanding Woman Physio Award’ at National Conference of Indian Association of Physiotherapists (member organisation) at Delhi, India in 2023. She has served as a resource person for more than 60 conferences/ workshops across India. She has trained more than 5000 Government primary school teachers for early identification of children with special needs in the state of Chhattisgarh in Central India which predominantly has tribal and rural population. She has 19 international publications (14 as first author) in PubMed and/or scopus indexed journals. She serves as associate editor of Pan African Medical Journal.

Dr. Zehra Habib holds a Ph.D. in Pediatric Physiotherapy from Drexel University (formerly known as the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University). Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Dr. Habib’s professional practice background primarily revolves around acute tertiary care hospitals. Her research interests emphasize establishing a network of trained pediatric physiotherapists in Pakistan to provide services such as gait training in cerebral palsy, balance development in children, early intervention for children with Down syndrome, respiratory care, orthotics, and spasticity management. She is a member of the Research Committee of the IOPTP.

Ken Harwood is the president of Ken Harwood Consulting PLLC and an Adjunct Associate Professor at George Washington University. He is the former Dean of the College of Health and Education at Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia. He held academic positions at Columbia University, New York University, George Washington University, and SUNY, Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn. In addition, he was the Director of Practice and then the Vice President of the Practice and Education Divisions for the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Harwood published and presented nationally and internationally in the areas of learning health systems, physical therapy, functional testing, low back pain care and prevention, safe patient handling and movement, leadership, and health services research.
Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=harwood+kenneth&sort=date&size=20
Presentations:
International
• The effect of timing of physical therapy on costs and outcomes: WPT, Geneva, 2019
• Direct Access: WPT, Switzerland, 2019
National
• Implementing LHS: Academy Health, Washington, DC, 2022
• Competencies required for LHS: Academy Health, Washington, DC, 2022
• Influence of Initial Provider Outcomes and Costs for LBP: APTA CSM, San Antonio, 2022
• FASI Paves the Way: APTA CSM, San Antonio, 2022
• Feedback on patient health outcomes: CoHSTAR, virtual conference, 2020

A/Professor Hassett (PhD; MHlthSc(NeuroPHTY); BAppSc(PHTY)) is an Associate Professor in Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney. She also co-leads the Implementation Science Academy within Sydney Health Partners, an Advanced Health Research and Translation Centre. She has supervised six higher degree research and 11 honors students to timely completion and currently supervises five PhD students. In 2020, she received the Vice Chancellor’s award for excellence in research and teaching. A/Professor Hassett has >90 publications and has attracted over $6.8 million dollars in category 1 research funding in the past 5 years as a chief investigator, including an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Fellowship. A/Professor Hassett worked clinically for 15 years in adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation. She has made a significant contribution to the understanding of how to deliver and promote physical activity in people with moderate-to-severe TBI through the conduct of clinical trials, systematic reviews, and the recent development of a national clinical practice guideline. Her current research focuses on conducting trials to test the effectiveness of interventions to improve mobility and physical activity in older adults and adults living with disability and to evaluate the implementation of effective interventions into practice.

Sophie is a clinician researcher in Australia with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons); Master of Physiotherapy (Sports) and a PhD investigating the biomechanics of functional exercise for older adults and for people with knee osteoarthritis. Sophie works at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne leading a project attracting grant funding in training physiotherapists and multidisciplinary clinicians in trauma informed care. Sophie also serves on the advisory board for the Centre of Sports Health and Sports Medicine and has an honorary appointment to the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. Sophie works clinically in sports medicine, musculoskeletal and aquatic physiotherapy roles.

Larisa Hoffman has a PhD in Physical Therapy. Dr. Hoffman is a Professor at Regis University and an international rehabilitation workforce development specialist. Currently, she supports Physiopedia within the USAID funded activities: Strengthening Rehabilitation Services in Health Systems (SRSHS) and Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation Systems (ReLAB-HS). In this role, Dr. Hoffman mentors program directors and leaders in rehabilitation professions in Ukraine and Uganda to strengthen the rehabilitation workforce. She has recently presented this work at the First Ukrainian Congress on Physical Therapy and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics World Congress. Her research interests include outcomes from mentoring programs for program directors for academic program improvement.

Cristine Homsi Jorge (PhD) is specialized in Women´s Health Physiotherapy, Associate Professor at Ribeirão Preto Medical School (University of São Paulo). The founder and the first President of the Brazilian Association of Women´s Health Physiotherapy (ABRAFISM) is a passionate advocate for women’s health, having led a campaign that resulted in public policy changes in Brazil, as well as voluntarily providing several training courses for physiotherapists in low resource settings.
Her research focus is Women’s Health with a special interest in pelvic floor muscle function and dysfunctions. She has supervised many master and PhD students and she is currently scientific director of ABRAFISM an Editor in Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, member of the editorial board of the International Urogynecology Journal and Vice-President of the International Organization of Pelvic and Women´s Health Physiotherapists-World Physiotherapy.

Clair works clinically as Physiotherapy Clinical Lead at INPUT Pain Management, Guys and St Thomas NHS Trust alongside Pain and Leadership teaching both in the Physiotherapy Division at Brunel University and External as Sen. Lecturer (Professional Practice) Physiotherapy. Clair has worked in chronic pain management for most of her career in secondary and tertiary service including overseas. She is interested in psychologically informed and narrative approaches in health care graduating in Narrative Medicine, Columbia University and Narrative Based Approaches. She is serving on national and International committees including Co-Chair of the Physiotherapy Pain Association and Co-Education Lead since 2019 and Vice-Chair of Pain and Trauma SIG, IASP (previously Pain of Torture, Organized Violence, and War SIG).

Alice Jones graduated as a physiotherapist from Hong Kong, obtained her MPhil from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, MSc in Education from University of Surrey in the UK and PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia. She is a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists and a specialist in Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy since 1995.
Prof. Jones served The Hong Kong Polytechnic University from1989 to 2012. In her academic career, she has been a Clinical Coordinator, a Physiotherapy Program Leader, Acting Head of Department and Director of the Centre for East-meets-West in Rehabilitation Sciences. She has been a visiting professor to Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, an adjunct professor at Griffith’s University Australia, and an honorary professor at the University of Sydney from 2012-2020. Her research interests are in cardiopulmonary physiotherapy and physiotherapy education. She has over 140 publications in peer reviewed journals.
Presently she is an Honorary Professor at The University of Queensland, a part-time Director of Physiotherapy at the Kunming Medical University and a visiting professor at the Sichuan West China Clinical Medical College, and Shanghai University of TCM. She continues contributing to the teaching of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, and remains active in the promotion of the physiotherapy profession globally.

Lester Jones is an experienced educator and APA-titled Pain Physiotherapist. He has had academic positions in the United Kingdom, Australia and now Singapore (since 2018), where he is a Senior Lecturer at Singapore Institute of Technology. Much of his scholarly work has been exploring pain as a multidimensional experience and includes the application of the Pain and Movement Reasoning Model which he co-created. He was the first physiotherapist awarded MScMed(PainMgt), the inaugural chair of APA National Pain Group and was the lead tutor on pain topics for La Trobe University’s Masters program for Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. He is currently into his third term on the Pain Association of Singapore Council. He is the Secretary of the International Association of the Study of Pain (IASP) SIG Pain and Trauma (formerly Pain related to Torture, Organised Violence and War). Since September 2022, he is an elected member of the IASP Council.

Smita K.C is a pediatric physiotherapist whose interest is in assessment and treatment of children with neurological disorders in Nepal. Her research area of interest is in Cerebral palsy and its management. She has been a lecturer in the Physiotherapy program at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences since 2014. She is involved in pediatric clinical services, teaching and research. She has had a significant role in developing master level physiotherapy curriculum and minimum requirements for the physiotherapy program in Nepal. She maintains a clinical role treating pediatric patients in the wards and outpatient, neonatal ward and advanced early intervention in the NICU and PICU.
She has been a master trainer for functional intensive therapy for cerebral palsy children and ICF based rehabilitation for health professionals since 2015. She has already trained more than 120 health professionals through workshops and conducted eight FITcare camps for CP children and their parents.
Smita has presented her research on FITcare for children with cerebral palsy in national and international physiotherapy conferences including the Nepal Physiotherapy association conference 2018 and 2020 and World Physiotherapy Congress 2023.

Thoshenthri Kandasamy (BSc, BPhty, MPH) is an emerging researcher and dedicated PhD student studying excellence in Stroke recovery and rehabilitation. Currently pursuing her doctoral studies at Flinders University, Thoshen’s research focuses on innovative approaches to stroke rehabilitation within stroke centres. With a background in physiotherapy and a strong passion for improving patient outcomes, clinical care is always at the forefront and through Thoshen’s commitment to advancing stroke rehabilitation, she aims to make a meaningful impact on the lives of stroke survivors and their families.

Dr. Hajime Katsukawa (JAPAN) is a senior physiotherapist and a chair of the Japanese Society of Early Mobilization (non-profit). He is also a clinical instructor of ICU rehabilitation at the Yonemori hospital. He received a master’s degree (Human Science, 2005) and a PhD degree (Medical, 2013) from Nihon University. His specialized field is early mobilization for critically ill patients. He has published many articles about early mobilization, including a clinical textbook read by more than 100,000 people to-date. He is a Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific ICU Early Mobilization Network.

Erin Keough, M.Sc.Kin, M.Sc.A. PT, PT is a clinical practitioner in Montreal, Canada specializing in internal medicine. Erin holds two master degrees: one in Kinesiology from Memorial University of Newfoundland and one in Physical Therapy from McGill University. Erin has taught multiple courses at Memorial University and also received the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council award for her dedicated research on experiential learning through internships. Erin was diagnosed with a chronic disability in 2016 and since then has used her lived experiences as a platform to deconstruct disability politics and pedagogies. This led Erin to become a co-founder of Justice Centered Rehab, an organization created to bring awareness to social justice and health inequity around the world. Here, Erin used her lived-experiences to deconstruct social norms and decolonize healthcare in her area. Erin is also a regular guest lecturer at McGill University in the Faculty of Medicine where she shares her journey from patient to practitioner.

Dr. Henri Kiers is the director of the Institute for Movement Studies and of the Research Centre for Digital Business and Media. Additionally, he serves as the chairman of the Association for Quality in Physical Therapy (SKF), works as a senior researcher at the Lifestyle and Health research group, and is affiliated with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam through a research fellowship.
Originally trained as a physiotherapist, Henri Kiers pursued further studies in manual therapy, human movement sciences, and epidemiology, culminating in his 2014 doctoral dissertation on proprioception and low back pain. He previously held a position on the board of the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy and was co-founder of the SKF. His endeavors are aimed at enhancing the quality of physiotherapeutic practice through the utilization of data.
Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Kiers+Henri&sort=date&size=20
Presentations:
In the past five years Henri Kiers has provided multiple presentations at (inter)national level on policy and professional development.

Corelien Kloek works as a senior-researcher at the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in The Netherlands. Her research focuses on the integration of digital health technology in physiotherapy, with a special interest in mobile health, artificial intelligence, blended care, digital health skills and implementation. Corelien is project leader of the SMART project in which an AI-supported self-management app for patients with osteoarthritis is developed. She supervises several PhD students on the development, evaluation and implementation of blended interventions. She and her colleagues also developed a platform to inform physiotherapists, teachers and students on commercially available health technology, their characteristics and its quality. Corelien has a BSc. degree in physiotherapy and a MSc. degree in health sciences. In 2018, Corelien finished her PhD in the (cost-)effectiveness of a blended intervention for patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis in which face-to-face sessions are combined with a mobile application.
Recent publication:
Kloek CJJ, Janssen J, Veenhof C. Development of a checklist to assist physiotherapists in determination of patients’ suitability for a blended treatment. Telemed J E Health. 2020 Aug;26(8):1051-1065.

Ellen is a clinical physiotherapist (Bachelor of Physiotherapy with First Class Honours) and a cognitive behaviour therapist (Masters) in Brisbane. Ellen is the Mental Health Chair for the Australian Physiotherapy Association national group and on the executive committee of the International Organization of Physical Therapy in Mental Health. Ellen works in community and hospital settings with a range of people and contexts including people living with mental illness and chronic disease.
Ellen combines her physiotherapy, counselling and psychotherapy backgrounds to champion mental health professional development and education. Ellen also strongly advocates for physiotherapist self-care and well-being and managing workplace stress in numerous articles in industry publications.

Nisrine Lattouf serves as the Director of the Confucius Institute at Saint Joseph University of Beirut and holds the esteemed title of Director Emeritus of the Institute of Physiotherapy at the same university. During her tenure as Director of the Physiotherapy Institute at Saint Joseph University Beirut, Nisrine was instrumental in shaping the landscape of physiotherapy education in Lebanon.
Her contributions extend beyond academia, as she has held various positions on committees within the Ministry of Education and the Order of Physiotherapy in Lebanon. Nisrine was entrusted with the responsibility of implementing master’s and doctoral programs in Physiotherapy at Saint Joseph University, demonstrating her commitment to advancing education and professional standards in the field.
Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33967063/
Presentations:
In the past five years Nirsine Lattouf has provided multiple presentations at (inter)national level on education and professional standards in physiotherapy.

Dr. Lopes is a Clinical Professor at Northeastern University in the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences. He received his entry-level Physical Therapy in Brazil, his M.S. in Rehabilitation, and his Ph.D. in Biodynamic of Human Movement. Dr. Lopes has published 12 peer-reviewed articles exploring different aspects of musculoskeletal conditions during the last five years. He has also presented his work in the previous five years at the last three American Physical Therapy Association – Combined Section Meetings and as a guest speaker of the Olympic Academic Programme on Sports Medicine & Sports Physiotherapy at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games. Currently, he is developing a new research area that focuses on assisting the practice of physiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in telerehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions. He recently led a project to provide professional training to six physical therapists from Ethiopia, intending to fulfill the academic experience requirements necessary to reopen the Doctorate in Physical Therapy program at Addis Ababa University. Health Volunteers Overseas, a non-governmental organization, provided funding for this project.

Rachael Lowe, a physiotherapist, is the co-founder and trustee of the Physiopedia charity and co-founder and CEO of the Physiopedia Plus education and professional development platform. As partner lead for the USAID funded Learning, Acting and Building for Rehabilitation Systems (ReLAB-HS) activity she has led on international workforce development activities including the development of the International Rehabilitation Education and Training Toolkit (IRETT). Rachael is a regular presenter at international conferences and has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. Rachael’s interests are focused around the provision of techniology supported equitable access to education and a collaborative approach to the integration of rehabilitation into health systems.

Martina Lukin is a Prosthetist / Orthotist (PO) with almost two decades of expertise across a diverse range of private and public settings. The vast majority of her career has been devoted to working with humanitarian organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Humanity and Inclusion (HI) operating in conflict-affected regions including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ukraine and Libya. Beyond project management and technical support, she has maintained a strong focus on strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration amongst rehabilitation professionals with the ultimate goal of improving quality and accessibility of services. Her dedication towards innovation in the PO sector is demonstrated through her recent work with the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) on the development of the LEAD (Lower Extremity Amputation Dataset) and the COMPASS list of standardized outcome measures for routine clinical practice; presented at the virtual ISPO World Congress in 2021. Martina is currently a workforce development specialist for ReLAB-HS, where she plays a key role in the development and implementation of innovative training programs for rehabilitation professionals worldwide. She recently presented this work at the ISPO World Congress in Mexico, 2023.

Dr. Romany Martin is a physiotherapist who works as a Lecturer at The University of Tasmania (Australia) and clinically at the Launceston General Hospital (Australia). In her clinical work, Romany sees patients in a Respiratory Outpatient Physiotherapy Clinic. In her role at the university, she is the Lead for Physiotherapy Clinical Education. Romany earned her PhD from The University of Queensland (Australia) titled ‘Preparing and supporting new-graduate physiotherapists for rural practice’. Her research focuses on preparing students and new graduates for the reality of practice in physiotherapy and more specifically preparing them to be responsive to their patients’ health literacy. Recent research undertaken by Dr. Martin includes a mixed method exploration of the health literacy of allied health students, a longitudinal evaluation of a two-year physiotherapy and speech pathology health literacy curriculum, and a scoping review which aimed to assess the ways in which health professionals’ health literacy responsiveness may be best developed and measured. She has presented as the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Education Conference for three years in a row and was recently awarded an Early Career Research Grant by the Australian Collaborative Education Network.

Dr. Chidozie Mbada is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), United Kingdom and an adjunct Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria. He is a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist, with complementary research interests in women’s health, health outcomes, and telerehabilitation/digital health. Before his present appointment at MMU, he was an Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Rehabilitation at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he also served as the Head of Department between September 2021 and June 17 2022. He was also an Adjunct Associate Professor/Head of Department, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo Nigeria from September 2016 to June 2021. Dr. Mbada is a fellow of Advance Higher Education, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a physiotherapist, and a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. He has approximately 15 years of experience in Higher Education and has also been involved in clinical practice.

Professor Suzanne McDonough is Head of School and a Professor of Health and Rehabilitation at the RCSI School of Physiotherapy, Dublin, Ireland. Prior to this, she was a Research Lead in the School of Health Sciences at Ulster University, UK. Suzanne obtained her undergraduate degree in physiotherapy at University College Dublin (UCD) in 1989; was awarded her PhD in neurophysiology from Newcastle University, UK, in 1995; and a higher diploma in healthcare (acupuncture) in 2002 from UCD. Suzanne has supervised 30 PhD students to date and has published widely in her area of expertise (over 130 papers; h-index=49) related to physical activity, exercise, and rehabilitation of various movement conditions. Suzanne has secured over €6 million in research funding from the UK (NIHR, MRC, Physiotherapy Research Foundation, Wellcome Trust), Irish (HRB, HRB-HRCI) and EU funding (SEUPB, Horizon 2020). Suzanne is an expert in the development and evaluation of rehabilitation interventions in clinical populations with movement challenges (e.g., due to pain, neurological injury, aging, etc.). Suzanne has completed multiple trials (in Ireland, UK, and Canada) to understand how people with health conditions and older adults can be supported to safely walk more and reduce sedentary behaviors to meet the physical activity guidelines.

Wintana Mekonnen is a highly experienced and board-licensed Doctor of Physiotherapy, serving as the head of the Physiotherapy Department at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa University’s College of Health Sciences. With sixteen years of clinical expertise, she specializes in various fields, including orthopedic, neurologic, sports injuries, cardiac, geriatric, vestibular, and pediatric disorders. She is an International Olympic Committee-certified Sport Physiotherapist who is dedicated to advancing her skills and currently pursuing certification as an Orthopedic Physiotherapy Specialist. Actively involved in professional associations, she is a member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and serves as a board member of the Ethiopian Physiotherapy Association, focusing on research and training. Wintana Mekonnen also contributes significantly to the development of physiotherapy in Ethiopia, collaborating on national rehabilitation guidelines, educational standards, and curriculum development. Her transformative leadership drives progress and excellence in physiotherapy practices across the country.

Dr. Merolli is Physiotherapist (musculoskeletal and sports areas) and digital health and informatics expert. He is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health.
For years now he has been a leading international voice on all matters digital health and technology in physiotherapy. He has global reputation for his expertise in digital health, which has led to his involvement and consultation on this area across several World Physio and member organisation events and initiatives. He has presented on digital health at several APA, and World Physio past conferences, run workshops, written articles for MO magazines, and been interviewed on podcasts. His research interests include how technology is engaging patients to be more active participants in their own health management, digital MSK models of care, and workforce/education advancement.

Karime Mescouto, PT, PhD (she/her/ela/dela) is a physiotherapist and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland. She works in the Improving Health Outcomes after Musculoskeletal Injury team, assisting researchers with qualitative research designs to progress projects. Before pursuing her PhD at The University of Queensland, Karime worked as a physiotherapist and as a physiotherapy lecturer at two universities in Brazil. In her doctoral research, Karime was interested in enhancing low back pain healthcare delivery by critically looking at the biopsychosocial model of health. She used a variety of critical qualitative methodologies and collaborated with clinicians and people with lived experience of back pain to challenge taken-for-granted aspects in clinical and research practices. Karime has delivered more than 30 national and international presentations on her doctoral research, has 18 peer-reviewed papers, and two book chapters. Her research interests involve using qualitative methodologies in exploring sociocultural aspects of pain experiences and health and using sociological and philosophical theories in health sciences to foster equitable research, clinical and educational practices.

Tonya Miller PT, DPT Ph.D., is the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Lead at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. In this role, Dr Miller coordinates program curriculum, accreditation, and student success. Her interests include equitable healthcare, healthcare management, leadership, and clinical professional development. In particular, Dr Miller focuses her research on exploring the role of physical activity in improving the quality of life for individuals experiencing housing insecurity. She presents on state and national levels on various healthcare equity and leadership topics.
Dr Miller believes in community engagement and actively volunteers in community and professional organizations. She serves on both local and national boards, including the American Physical Therapy Association’s PT Proud Committee, Cumberland & Perry County Domestic Violence Shelter, Cumberland County Commission for Women, and PA Vent Camp, a camp for ventilator-dependent children, of which she is the Executive Director.

Dr Miyamoto is a physiotherapist with skills in health technology assessment, economic evaluation, clinical trials, cost-of-illness study, and systematic reviews. She is an assistant professor at Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (Brazil). In the last 5 years, Dr Miyamoto has published 23 peer-reviewed publications (total 34 publications, 985 citations, H index 14). She has given 36 conference presentations, including a Platform Presentation Award from the South America Region, on the World Congress of Physical Therapy 2019. She was invited for 7 keynote presentations (past 5 years), especially on the economic evaluation field. Her research has secured over 65 thousand Euros EuroQol Research Foundation for conducting validation and valuation studies of the EQ-5D-Y-3L. She has contributed to the growth of economic evaluations of physiotherapy interventions conducted in Brazil, assisting in the decision-making process in the incorporation of new technologies into the healthcare system.

Sidhi Mohapatra serves as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India. Currently pursuing a PhD in Disability Studies and Environmental Psychology, Sidhiprada is deeply committed to advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities at both the local community and administrative levels. She is the Coordinator for the Centre for Comprehensive Rehabilitation, MAHE that strives for social justice and equity in the areas of disability, occupational and environmental justice. Additionally, she holds the position of Deputy Member Secretary of the Institutional Ethics Committee at Kasturba Hospital and is a recipient of a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Law and Ethics. Her areas of interest include community-based rehabilitation, ethics, equity, and social and occupational justice. Her recent publications can be found at Sidhiprada Mohapatra — Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India. Passionate about innovative teaching methods, Sidhiprada recently initiated a program in Disability and Health, emphasizing alternative teaching-learning approaches beyond traditional methods. She has also received international grants and a Bursary award in recognition of her contributions to the field. Her dedication to advancing disability studies and health education underscores her commitment to making a positive impact in her community and the Physiotherapy discipline.

Professor Hanlie Moss is a registered Biokineticist and research professor in the research focus area for Physical Activity, Sport, and Recreation (PhASRec) at the North-West University (NWU), South Africa. She obtained her PhD in Human Movement Science at NWU. After working as an independent practitioner, she joined the NWU. Professor Moss holds a C2 rating with the National Research Foundation (NRF). Her research interests are on physical activity and exercise to prevent and manage risk factors for non-communicable diseases. She has published more than 60 national and international peer-reviewed papers, presented more than 100 national and international conference papers, and authored three book chapters. She supervised more than 35 postgraduate and four postdoctoral students. She is the PI of three research projects investigating the effects of exercise interventions on depression, cognitive function, cardiovascular health, and functional performance. In 2017, she was also recognized by the South African Academy of Arts and Culture as
the recipient of the “Albert Strating Award” for “Preventative Medicine” due to her work on the role of physical activity in the prevention of risk factors for non-communicable diseases. She is currently the editor of the South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education, and Recreation.

Dr. Ines Musabyemariya boasts over 14 years of experience in paediatric physiotherapy, program design, and disability advocacy, making her a skilled physiotherapist. Originally from Rwanda, she has spent the last two years working in the humanitarian sector, currently serving as a physiotherapist for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen. Ines has experience in health system strengthening and public health, having led a five-year project with Humanity & Inclusion to strengthen rehabilitation in Rwanda’s healthcare system. Her work has made significant contributions to paediatric physiotherapy in Rwanda, where she founded the Heroes Centre in Kigali, which provides comprehensive and inclusive paediatric rehabilitation services. Ines focuses on creating quality services for children with neurodevelopmental problems and disabilities, using the resources available to her. She is also a content creator for Physiopedia, which is a rehabilitation encyclopedia. She has 6 scientific publications and has presented her work at World Physiotherapy Congress, Dubai (2023), at WCPT Geneva (2019) and Cape Town (2017).

Dr. Waqar Mohsin Naqvi has over 14 years of expertise in health sciences. He has earned postgraduation (Master of Physiotherapy) and PhD degrees in Community-Based Rehabilitation. He is the author of a textbook on Rehabilitation which is widely used by physiotherapy students in India. Currently, he is working as Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. His career is distinguished by significant contributions to Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education, augmented reality, virtual reality and healthcare technology innovation. His scholarly achievements include over 190 peer-reviewed publications, showcasing a profound impact on healthcare advancements. In roles such as Associate Director for Research and International Student Office Convenor, he has led pivotal international collaborations, elevating academic and global health research standards. His administration expertise has significantly propelled academic and research growth, demonstrating strategic leadership in advancing healthcare education and practices.

Dr. Anastasia Newman (CANADA) completed both her Masters of Physiotherapy (2006) and Masters of Rehabilitation Science (2011) at McMaster University. She worked as a critical care physiotherapist at the Hamilton General Hospital from 2007 to 2020. Dr. Newman completed her PhD in 2021 and recently finished a postdoctoral fellowship in August 2023. Her research focuses on the role of early mobilization in the management of patients with critical illnesses and on the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation in people with chronic respiratory conditions. She is currently an Assistant Professor in School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University.

Adesola Odole is a Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Outcomes Assessment & Chair, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan CoMUI). She has a Ph.D. in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy, and an MSc. degree in Biomedical Education. She is the Chair, E-learning Committee, CoMUI and Focal Person for the Association of CommonWealth Universities, Partnership for Enhanced Blended Learning (West Africa) University of Ibadan Nigeria. She is a Board Member, International Society of Quality-of-Life Research. In the past 5 years, she has made over 20 presentations at National and International conferences including at the World Physical Therapy Congress. Her most recent publications can be found at https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.1848 & https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v58i1.13. She has over 30 years of physiotherapy practice. Her teaching, scholarship, and clinical practice have been geared towards telehealth, health outcomes assessment, and intervention of major musculoskeletal conditions. She is passionately interested in improved access to healthcare for the marginalized (particularly persons with disabilities). She is on the advisory boards of “Sustain Our Abilities (NGO on climate change and persons with disabilities), and Rebuilding Hope on the Wheels Initiative (NGO on persons with disabilities in Nigeria). She is a recipient of various fellowships, scholarships and awards.

Rhodaline Okai is a licensed and experienced Deputy Chief Physiotherapist who works in general physiotherapy practice but has special interest in stroke neuro-rehabilitation. She has over fourteen years of working experience in clinical settings. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Physiotherapy from the University of Ghana in 2007 and was posted to the Western Region of Ghana where illiteracy rate was quite high compared to the Greater Accra Region where she grew up and had her training. Her interest in health promotion was sparked, inspiring her to volunteer on several Physiotherapy Outreach clinics organized by the Ghana Physiotherapy Association (G.P.A) across the country. In 2016, she was the chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee for G.P.A.’s 3rd Biennial Conference, and actively volunteers as the Programs Coordinator for Stroke Aid Foundation Ghana, where she helps to organize health screening and community outreaches to underserved areas in her region. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Public health also at the University of Ghana in 2019. Rhodaline is currently the head of the Physiotherapy Department and has helped train both local and international physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistants. She aspires to improve health literacy among her students, staff and communities through health promotion.

Senior Lecturer/Former Head of the Department of Physiotherapy, Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. Additionally, she also works as a visiting lecturer and an examiner at the University of Colombo. With over 30 years of clinical experience in treating patients with different kinds of health issues, she has completed a Diploma in Physiotherapy, a BSc, and MPhil in Physiotherapy. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Geriatric Rehabilitation. She is passionate about research and exploring innovative approaches to physiotherapy. Her work has resulted in numerous scientific publications and presentations, including at World Physiotherapy Congresses and in peer-reviewed indexed journals. She has served as a member of the abstract review committee in the International Research Conference at KDU, as well as at the World Physiotherapy congress in 2023. In 2021, she chaired the Networking session on pain at the World Physiotherapy congress. She supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research studies. Honoured with several fellowships, including the Collaborative Research Fellowship by The Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Fulbright Professional Scholarship, the WHO Fellowship, and Research and Innovation Award. Furthermore, she is a member of the subject expert panel of physiotherapist in Ceylon Medical Collage Council, Sri Lanka, and a member of the CAPAGE programme.

Yara Peterko is a Occupational Therapist with over a decade of experience. Besides practicing within the field of Occupational Therapy she served as a board member of Ergotherapie Austria and as Austria’s World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) Delegate from 2012 to 2023. In addition to her occupational therapy background, she holds a Master’s degree in Health Assisting Engineering, with a focus on fostering collaboration between therapists and technicians to design assistive devices and teaches as an external lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna and Krems, Austria. In 2023, Yara Peterko was elected as Vice President of the Council of Occupational Therapists of European Countries (COTEC). Through her work, she strives to empower occupational therapy practitioners worldwide while fostering collaboration and innovation in the field. Yara’s dedication to advancing occupational therapy is further demonstrated by her active participation in national and international conferences. In 2022, she presented at the national congress of Ergotherapie Austria and the national congress of the Occupational Therapy Association of Morocco (OTAM). Currently, she supports Physiopedia within the ReLAB-HS activity, where she plays a pivotal role in facilitating the implementation and accessibility of rehabilitation services within healthcare systems on a global scale.

Ms. Salony Raskar, PT, Dip. Onco-PT, MSc., is a compassionate physiotherapist and researcher dedicated to aiding the homeless population. She has strong links and networks with groups dedicated to improving care for people experiencing homelessness in India. With experience as a Clinical Physiotherapist at a public hospital in India, she has a nuanced understanding of healthcare challenges faced by marginalized groups. Salony employs evidence-based methods to address their unique healthcare needs, striving to enhance their well-being.
As a Member of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy, she actively engages in professional networks to stay abreast of latest developments in the field. Her advocacy extends to public forums, where she shares insights and promotes awareness about homelessness and healthcare access. Salony’s unwavering dedication to social justice and health equity underscores her invaluable contributions to improving the lives of marginalized individuals in India.

Felipe Reis is Professor at the Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), adjunct professor School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University (Canada) and visiting professor at Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Vrije Universiteit Brussel(Belgium). He earned his PhD degree in Medical Sciences (2012) at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. His research interests are: the integration of pain, emotion and cognition, and pain education. He serves as the chair of the IASP Special Interest Group Pain, Mind and Movement. Currently, he is responsible to coordinate the research group (Pesquisa em Dor, Brazil) and member of an international research group (Pain in Motion, Belgium). Recently, he includes in his research activities the study, development and implementation of artificial intelligence models in Physiotherapy with a special interest in musculoskeletal pain.
Recent publication:
Briggs AM, Chua J, Cross M, Ahmad NM, Finucane L, Haq SA, Joshipura M, Kalla AA, March L, Moscogiuri F, Reis FJJ, Sarfraz S, Sharma S, Soriano ER, Slater H. ‘It’s about time’. Dissemination and evaluation of a global health systems strengthening roadmap for musculoskeletal health – insights and future directions. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Nov;8(11):e013786. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013786. PMID: 37918875; PMCID: PMC10626884.

Ex-Vice President (2019-2023) of the International Organization for Physical Therapy in Pelvic and Women’s Health.
Founder and first President of the Chilean Organization of Physiotherapy in Women’s Health.
Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies at the School of Physiotherapy of the Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chile.
Master’s in University Teaching and Master’s in Public Health.
She has more than 20 years of clinical experience in women’s health, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. For 16 years, she has been the Director of the Diploma Physiotherapy in Pregnancy and Postpartum, the first program in Chile that provides specialized training to physiotherapists about this topic. In recent years, her research work has focused on physical activity and women’s health, especially in primary health care. She is an advisor to the Ministry of Health of Chile for issues of physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum.
About clinical care, she works in the “Physiotherapy in Women’s Health” program at the Universidad del Desarrollo Clinic, which provides free care to vulnerable women with specific life cycle dysfunctions, mainly obstetric and pelvic floor disorders.
She has participated as a speaker at different international conferences and seminars and has experience teaching in Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, and Indonesia.

Dr Saragiotto is a physiotherapist with skills in public health, telehealth, clinical trials and systematic reviews. He is a senior lecture at University of Technology Sydney (Australia) and a research affiliate at Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (Brazil). In the last 5 years, Dr Saragiotto has published 45 peer-reviewed publications (total 105 publications, >3,000 citations, FWCI 1.98, H index 23). He has given 20 conference presentations, including 6 invited keynote presentations (past 5 years). He is an editor at the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, and served as a Cochrane editor from 2018 to 2023. His research has secured over $2.5 million in competitive grants testing telehealth interventions in Brazil, Australia, and Canada since 2018. His contributions have led to important changes in global health policies, including updates and changes to clinical practice guidelines for chronic pain management, the implementation of a pain education program in the Brazilian public health system (EducaDor program), and wide media attention featuring in the New York Times, The Guardian, and ABC radio. He is in the PEDro Steering Committee (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) and lead the PEDro Satellite Brazil. He also hosts a Podcast ‘PhysioFrontiers’ that aims to bridge the gap between research and practice (40k views in 2023 on Spotify and YouTube).

Sarah M. Schwab-Farrell, PT, DPT, PhD (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise, & Nutrition Sciences at the University of Cincinnati (USA). Sarah is a physiotherapist and has practiced in the acute care and neurological settings. She earned her DPT from the University of Cincinnati in 2018, MA in Experimental Psychology in 2020, and PhD in Experimental Psychology in 2022. She also completed post-doctoral training in the Neurorecovery Lab at the University of Cincinnati. Sarah has advanced specialty training in ecological and critical approaches to rehabilitation, including training and experience in the application of ecological psychology and disability studies to rehabilitation. Her current research examines the impact of contextual factors (environmental and personal factors) on the motor control of individuals with neurological disabilities using a disability studies lens. Sarah has extensive speaking experience on these topics, including 26 national and international presentations in the last 5 years. She has published 22 peer-reviewed papers and two book chapters since 2019. Sarah’s research has been funded by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research and the Ohio Physical Therapy Association.

Durga Shah, PT, DPT, is a practicing pediatric physical therapist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Her extensive academic background includes PT training at MS University (Baroda, India), graduate studies at institutions including All India Institute of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation, and New York University, culminating in a clinical doctorate from Mass General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. Durga’s clinical research focuses on Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Childhood Cancer. She has a notable global health education and advocacy record, volunteering with Health Volunteers Overseas, partnering with USAID in the Republic of Georgia, leading service-learning trips to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, and collaborating with UNICEF and CP Foundation in Uganda, Peru, and Bulgaria. As the former Payment, Policy, and Advocacy chair for the American Physiotherapy Association-Pediatrics and recipient of the 2024 APTA Pediatrics Susan Effgen Award for Child Advocacy, Durga is dedicated to advancing global PT practice for children and currently serves as the Practice Co-chair for the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Pediatrics (IOPTP).

Paula L. Silva, PT, PhD (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of Graduate Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She received a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s in Rehabilitation Sciences from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a PhD degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2009. Paula practiced physiotherapy in Brazil for over 10 years, where she worked with people from low-income regions. Paula currently studies human performance from the perspectives of complexity science and ecological psychology. Her research aims to (a) examine and advance general theoretical principles to explain the coordination and perceptual regulation of biological movement that support successful performance in diverse circumstances; (b) reveal and explain changes in action coordination and perceptual capabilities associated with pathological conditions; and (c) apply these principles in the design of methods to assess and enhance performance of individuals with movement-related disability and those at risk for sports injury. Her overarching goal is to promote effective cross-fertilization between theory and clinical practice in the fields of rehabilitation and sports medicine. In the past 5 years, Paula has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and delivered over 20 presentations. Paula’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and internal awards at the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Tracey Smythe is a leader in global health with more than 20 years in programme development and research on disability. Tracey is a paediatric physiotherapist and an Associate Professor, with the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at LSHTM (UK) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). Her research publications have 939 citations, her h-index is 15 and i10 index is 22. Skilled at programme and research design and evaluation, Tracey has led her teams to develop, co-ordinate and deliver rehabilitation interventions and training programmes in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK. Her work generates knowledge to bridge the gap between academia and health service delivery, such as through parent group interventions to improve the wellbeing of caregiver of children with disabilities (www.ubuntu-hub.org). Before joining LSHTM and Stellenbosch University, Tracey co-ordinated the National Clubfoot Programme of Zimbabwe from inception.

Dr. John M. Solomon, PT, PhD, is an additional professor and the Head of Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, MAHE , Manipal and the Coordinator of the Centre for Comprehensive Stroke Rehabilitation and Research, MAHE.
He completed his Master’s degree specializing in neurological physiotherapy in 2003 and a PhD on ‘Virtual reality training for incoordination’ from MAHE in 2010. His research focus is on strategies to improve motor recovery after stroke. He has four international and six Indian-funded projects to his credit, including multiple joint projects on state of art technology based interventions.
He is a member of various international working groups on stroke rehabilitation and has been actively involved in developing stroke rehabilitation strategies for Low income countries. He is an Executive Board member of the International Stroke Rehabilitation and Research Alliance (ISRRA). He was one of the reviewers of the WHO Package of Interventions of Stroke Rehabilitation. He is also a Member of the Stroke guideline development group of the European Stroke Organization for Motor Rehabilitation after a stroke. He is an expert Working Group member to develop standard protocols for people with disabilities, formed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Physiotherapy, University of A Coruña, where she collaborates in the Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy bachelor’s degrees and the master’s program in Disability and Dependency. She is an active member of the research group in Psychological Intervention and Physical Rehabilitation at this University, where she contributes to the development of epidemiological research in respiratory area (Maximal Respiratory Pressure Reference Equations in Healthy Adults and Cut-off Points for Defining Respiratory Muscle Weakness. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arbres.2023.08.016) and supervises clinical research in neurodegenerative disorders (Improving Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness, and Cognitive Function in Patients with Dementia by Therapeutic Exercise and NESA Neuromodulation: A Multicenter Clinical Trial. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20217027). She has made numerous contributions to national and international conferences. She is an associate editor of the Spanish Journal Fisioterapia since 2010. She has experience in international networking, having been vice president of the European Region of the World Confederation of Physiotherapy (2010-2016), and is currently part of the ERASMUS + Capacity Building project Capacity for Healthy Aging in Sri Lanka. Also, she serves as the head of her university department and is leading the Spanish Association of Physiotherapists in Higher Education.

Rudi A. Steenbruggen, PT, MBA, PhD, is a former physiotherapist who started working as a physiotherapist in geriatrics and neurorehabilitation. Hereafter he worked 15 years in a general teaching hospital as manager of allied health care, combining this with a part-time lectureship at the Master Geriatric Physical Therapy (MGPT) at Avans+ (Netherlands). Since 2019 he works as a senior lecturer physiotherapy and researcher at Saxion University of applied Sciences (the Netherlands), where he specializes in prehabilitation, focusing mainly on the ageing population. He obtained his PhD in 2023 on the subject “Quality improvement of hospital-based physiotherapy”. He was a speaker during the CSM 2020 of the APTA in Denver, the German Physiotherapy Congress 2022 in Leipzig, the ENPHE (European Network of Physiotherapy in Higher Education) conference 2023 in Portugal, and the WPC 2023 in Geneva. In 2021 (World Physiotherapy Congress) he was chair of the focused seminar on quality improvement of hospital-based physiotherapy. His most recent publications in BMC Health Services and BMJ Open Quality in 2023 are related to the design of a quality framework for hospital-based physiotherapy.

Peter Stilwell, BKin, DC, MSc, PhD (he/him/his) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern Denmark, and an Affiliate Member at McGill University in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at McGill University, where he held a Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was a Ronald Melzack Fellow in Chronic Pain Research at the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain. Most of his research training was at Dalhousie University, where he completed a MSc in Rehabilitation Research in Physiotherapy and a PhD in Health. In the past 5 years, he has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and delivered over 40 invited presentations. His interdisciplinary health research is focused on pain and suffering, and he has obtained over 1 million CAD in awards and grant funding to advance this work. Before becoming a researcher, he worked as a kinesiologist and licensed chiropractor in Canada. He obtained his undergraduate Kinesiology degree (BKin) from the University of Calgary and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree (DC) from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC).

Rachel is an experienced neurological physiotherapist and researcher. Rachel is a UK Research and Innovation Future Leader Fellow and leads a team to deliver a programme of work examining digital health technologies in upper limb rehabilitation after stroke, spanning the life cycle of technology from design, development, evaluation and implementation. She has been involved in a range national and international studies of technologies and rehabilitation, including trials of virtual reality, apps and wearable technologies and co leads an international working grooup for centres of clinical excellence in stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

Brendon is a clinical-academic physiotherapist in the United Kingdom with an interest in physical activity and mental health, the mind-body interface, healthy ageing and meta-research. Brendon has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physiotherapy, Masters of Science in Neurological Rehabilitation & PhD in Pain Medicine & Rehabilitation. Brendon works locally and (inter)nationally with a huge number of collaborators with whom he has published over 900 academic papers in several leading journals across multiple scientific fields. Key recent publications include European Psychiatric Association guidelines & position statement on the use of physical activity for severe mental illness and a Lancet Psychiatry commission on improving the physical health & wellbeing of people with mental illness (2019). Brendon is in the top 0.1% of researchers globally in mental health/neuroscience. Brendon has written policies for or advised key national (e.g. NHS England, Public Health England) and international (World Health Organisation, World Psychiatric Association) health agencies and worked to scientific campaigns for ASICS and international tennis championship. Recent projects include access and outcomes for physiotherapy in mental health service users.
Brendon was awarded a five year National Institute for Health Research Advanced Fellowship to investigate persistent pain in people with severe mental illness in 2021 to develop a new physiotherapy-led model of care. Brendon is a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.

Narasimman Swaminathan is a physiotherapy educator and researcher, working as Professor School of Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences, University of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman. He completed his Post-graduation in Physiotherapy in 2003- and Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) fellowship, in 2012. Narasimman serves as a vice chair of Guidelines International Network’s (GIN) Low Middle Income Country working group. He was a contributor and reviewer for the E learning SCI course of International Spinal Cord Society.
Narasimman completed his PhD in Health Professional Education. He also has completed several funded educational research projects. He is involved in training the health professional educators in curriculum development, teaching learning, and assessment methods. Currently he is a member of the World Physiotherapy Education committee.
Narasimman, served as an expert committee member of national physiotherapy curriculum development committee, India. He is a consultant for PG curriculum development, Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka. Narasimman is Visiting Professor to Bournemouth University, UK and Adjunct researcher to University of South Australia, Adelaide. He was awarded Indian Association of Physiotherapists, prestigious CP Nair oration. Prof. Narasimman published 54 peer reviewed articles in indexed journals.

Dr. Takata is a Professor of Physiotherapy, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Healthcare and Science and Dean of Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Hokkaido Bunkyo University. He received his Ph.D. (Physiotherapy) from Sapporo Medical University, and is a qualified specialist in Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy.
Dr. Takata obtained his license as a Japanese physical therapist in 2004 and worked in an orthopedic surgery clinic in Sapporo, Japan. Since 2011, he has been working at Hokkaido Bunkyo University as an assistant professor, associate professor, and now professor since 2022. Given his expertise in biomechanics, and using insoles therapy, manual therapy and exercise therapy, he has helped with injury prevention and performance of Japan’s top athletes in domestic track and field, ski jumping, snowboarding, and arm wrestling.
Dr. Takata is currently working on the three pillars of research, education, and clinical practice. His overarching objective is to use physical therapy to help people move and live longer and healthier. He is a representative of the ASPT Research Group, a Certified Movement Links Specialist, and an advisor to the medical book division of Human Press, Inc.

Kathiravan Tangaraju Anthony, embarked on his journey as a Physiotherapist in 2013 after graduating with dual degree programme, Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons) from both MAHSA University (Malaysia) and Anglia Ruskin University (UK). Currently, he is the Head of Rehabilitation at the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM), he is managing a network of seven centres and overseeing a team of 17 therapists, to advocates for comprehensive stroke rehabilitation, encompassing physical, mental, and social activities to empower stroke survivors on their journey to recovery with a resolute belief in “There is life after stroke.”
For the past 11 years, driven by a deep passion, he plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing NASAM’s mission of delivering holistic therapy to stroke survivors and at the forefront of transforming stroke rehabilitation into an engaging and enjoyable experience for them. His commitment to making therapy enjoyable not only enhances patient engagement but also fosters a sense of empowerment and achievement.
Beyond his clinical responsibilities, he is actively engaging in volunteer work, extending his expertise to underserved communities through free physiotherapy services and health awareness activities, he strives to make a positive impact beyond the clinic walls.

Dr. Marike van der Schaaf (NETHERLANDS) is an Associate Professor at Amsterdam University Medical Center and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Her research covers the spectrum of rehabilitation from acute and intensive care through the primary care setting. She is the founder of the Dutch allied healthcare network, which specializes in the rehabilitation of patients with the post intensive care syndrome in primary care. The publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals, presentations at international and national scientific conferences and the dissemination of research in education and healthcare underline her belief in the importance of applied research to strengthen daily physiotherapy practice.

Dr. Van der Wees is a Physical Therapist and Professor of Allied Health Sciences at the Science Department IQ health and Department of Rehabilitation of Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. His research and teaching activities are aimed at implementation science, quality improvement, and evaluation of healthcare quality. He is coordinator of the research program ‘Value-based networked healthcare’, evaluating learning health systems and value-based healthcare in interprofessional networks.
Dr. Van der Wees is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He teaches Implementation Science in the PhD Program in Translational Health Sciences and supervises PhD students. He is associate editor of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal, and serves in the editorial board of the journal Systematic Reviews.
Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=van+der+wees+p&sort=date&size=20
Presentations:
International
• Implementing LHS: Academy Health, Washington, DC, 2022
• Competencies required for LHS: Academy Health, Washington, DC, 2022
• Patient Reported Outcomes in PT Practice: Order of Physiotherapists, Lebanon, 2019
• Outcomes Registries: WPT, Switzerland, 2019
National
• Clinical practice guidelines. Dutch Guidelines Network, 2023
• Value-Based Allied Healthcare, Dutch Patient Federation, 2019

Joost van Wijchen, at the helm of HVL’s Bachelor Physiotherapy Program, exemplifies a fusion of educational philosophy and design, grounded in a physiotherapy background from HAN University, the Netherlands and Brighton University, UK. Beyond his clinical physiotherapeutic expertise in Migrant and Musculoskeletal Health, Joost is celebrated for his innovative approach to curriculum development and pedagogical strategy, which reflects a commitment to inclusive, participatory learning. Recognized for “Critical Emancipative Learning” by the Dutch National COMENIUS Education Innovation fellowship. Joost contributes significantly to the physiotherapy field through roles in World Physiotherapy’s education committee and Erasmus+ projects, focusing on health equity and complexity-oriented learning approaches. His work in pedagogical development at HAN University and as an educational advisor at Maastricht University showcases his expertise in fostering diversity and equity in health education. Joost’s leadership in transforming clinical education, highlighted in the focused symposium, aims to revolutionize physiotherapy practice by marrying clinical knowledge with pedagogical innovation, emphasizing the critical role of education in advancing the profession.

Davy is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences and head of the research group for adapted physical activity and psychomotor rehabilitation at KU Leuven in Belgium. Davy is a physiotherapist with clinical and research expertise in the field of mood disorders, eating disorders, major neurocognitive disorders and psychotic disorders.
Davy is currently working on projects related to the assessment of anxiety and depression within physiotherapy for persistent pain, co-creating exercise as an innovative therapy for adolescents with mental disorders in an outpatient setting and cognitively informed strategies to reduce the mental health burden of students in Uganda.
Davy has led many research projects and invited speaking opportunities in mental health and is on the executive committee for the International Organization of Physical Therapy in Mental Health.

Lenny Vasanthan T currently works as an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. He is also an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Australia. He is a registered Physiotherapist for more than 18 years. His current research focus is on evidence synthesis, and how can research help to improve patient care. Recently, he has developed an interest in Core Outcome Sets.
He has published 20 papers in the past five years and has been a member of the India COVID guidelines and a Lancet Citizen commission fellow. He has delivered presentations in Society of Indian Physiotherapists conference in 2022 and 2024, APICON in 2024, GERICON in 2019, and also conducted hands on workshops across the country. He was awarded the Wyss Scholarship for Future leaders in Global Health by Health Volunteer Overseas, USA in 2017 and 2022

Nicola is an academic physiotherapist specialising in primary care and workforce. She currently leads a research team at UWE Bristol, and is theme lead for Integrated and Optimal Care in NIHR ARC West. Nicola is the academic lead for the Impact Accelerator Unit (IAU) in NHS Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire ICB. The role of the IAU is to expedite the use of evidence in decision making, service design and commissioning and delivery of healthcare to improve patient outcomes and service efficiencies.

Paula Williamson (BSc, PhD) is Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Liverpool. Her research programme has focussed on several aspects of evidence-based medicine (EBM) including clinical trials, meta-analysis, health outcome selection, and reducing waste in research. She was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2014, gave the Bradford Hill Lecture in 2017, and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) in 2018.
Paula co-founded the global COMET (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) Initiative in 2010, to improve the quality and relevance of health research to decision makers including patients, health professionals, regulators and policymakers. COMET was the winner of the international Cochrane-REWARD prize in 2017 and the inaugural MRC Open Science Impact Prize in 2022.
She chaired the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research, 2008-2018, led a successful bid for a new MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership from 2019, and directs an MRC Doctoral Training Programme in Trials Methodology.
Paula speaks regularly at international meetings, most recently at the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance conference in 2023. Her recent publications include various core outcome set (COS) development projects as well as assessing COS uptake by trialists, systematic reviewers and clinical guideline developers.

Ayako Yamamoto (PhD.) specializes women’s health since conducting her postgraduate research on the alignment of pelvis among postpartum women. She belongs to Konan Women’s University as a professor teaching women’s health to undergraduate students. She was the former president of Japanese Society of Physical Therapy Section on Women’s and Men’s Health and one of the contributors introducing the area “women’s health” to the Japanese
physical therapists. Her research focus is assessment and treatment of pelvic dysfunctions utilizing EMG biofeedback. She has written and edited several textbooks which explain basic and practical contents of women’s health.

Meredith Yeung is a cardiorespiratory physiotherapist and associate professor (Physiotherapy) at the Singapore Institute of Technology. Meredith is an active educator in different health-related areas and has extensive teaching experience at the community and tertiary levels. She has a wide range of research interests, including cardiorespiratory physiotherapy, pedagogy and education, community health, and outcome measures, and she has contributed to several works in these fields. In addition to her academic roles, she serves as an external examiner for the physiotherapy programme and scientific judge for national and international conferences and competitions.