Programme

Keynotes

Jo Gibson 'Title'

Session sponsored by Thermacare

Host:

Chair: 

Eanna Falvey 'Title'

Session sponsored by Respicare

Host: 

Chair:  

Jo Gibson 

Jo is an Consultant Shoulder Specialist Physiotherapist working at Shoulder Success in Liverpool, UK and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow  at Liverpool Hope University. She previously worked as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist at the Liverpool Upper Limb Unit where she worked as a Shoulder Specialist for 27 years. Jo lectures Nationally and Internationally about assessment and rehabilitation of people with shoulder problems. She has co-developed Masters modules for the diagnosis and treatment of upper limb pathology and has co-authored national guidelines for the management of different shoulder pathologies. Jo has presented original research at many National and International conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters. She is a Consultant to elite sports teams providing advice and guidance on the rehabilitation of shoulder injuries and return to sport.

Dr Eanna Falvey

Dr. Falvey has been involved in team coverage for Hurling, Football, Boxing, Rugby and Australian Rules football at elite levels. Dr. Falvey graduated from University College Cork School of Medicine before working clinically and researching at the Department of Rheumatology, Sports and Exercise Medicine in Cork University Hospital. He undertook a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne and completed a PhD at University College Cork.

He was appointed the Director of Sports Medicine at the Sports Surgery Clinic in 2008. He is heavily involved in the clinical research programme and is also clinically active there on a weekly basis.

He was the Irish Senior Rugby Team Doctor from 2009 spanning the Rugby World Cups of 2011 and 2015. He was Doctor to the successful British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013, and was Doctor with Munster Rugby for 4 years from 2003–07 including the inaugural Heineken Cup win in 2006. He was the Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance Unit Physician from 2009–2016 during a period of unrivalled success for Irish boxing.

He is an active member of the Irish sports medicine community. He is a member of the IRFU Medical Advisory Committee, a board member of the Faculty of Sports Medicine and is a member of the IRB Pitch Side Concussion Assessment (PSCA) working group.

Dr Falvey is Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Medicine at University College Cork, where a new generation of sports and exercise medicine practitioners are being trained.

Having worked in professional and elite sport for more than a decade, as a former international amateur boxer Dr. Falvey brings personal experience of competition – failure, injury and success – to match a unique clinical skill-set.

As a clinician researcher Dr. Falvey has worked, and collaborated with, some of the leading names in world sports medicine. His research output over the last decade has included a textbook, numerous book chapters and over 30 peer-reviewed publications. His work is continuously informed by research, ensuring patients receive elite-level care while avoiding non-evidence-based practice.

Symposium

'The Next 25 Years: Climate, Conflict & Migration Shaping Global Rehabilitation Needs'

Session sponsored by Medpoint

Host:  

Chair: Orlagh Nic Fhionnbhairr 

Emer McGowan 

Dr Emer McGowan, BSc (Physio) PhD, is presently a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin. Dr McGowan is also a former Board Member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. The fundamental questions that drive Dr McGowan’s research are questions of improving the quality of and access to healthcare. She has a specific interest in leadership, leadership development, cultural awareness, refugee health and health service development. Dr McGowan’s research aims to improve the health service for both the patients receiving care and the health professionals who work within it. Dr McGowan is a member of the Erasmus+ funded research project, Physiotherapy and Refugees Education Project (PREP). This research project is exploring rehabilitation for refugees with an aim to define competencies needed by physiotherapists working with this population, develop a curriculum for an e-learning module and ultimately make the e-learning module available for physiotherapists.

Filip Maric

Filip Maric (PhD) is Associate Professor in physiotherapy at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His teaching and research activities span sustainability, planetary health, environmental physiotherapy, critical theory, transformative change, and the environmental posthumanities.

Filip is the founder and executive chair of the Environmental Physiotherapy Association (EPA) and the project lead of the EPT Agenda – an international project uniting over 100 universities to integrate environmental and sustainability perspectives into physiotherapy education.

Filip also co-founded the UiT Environmental Humanities research group that brings together researchers and students from the majority of UiT's faculties in an effort to explore today's interconnected social and ecological challenges in a transdisciplinary manner.

As a member of the UiT Sustainability Team Filip also contributes to the development and implementation of UiTs sustainability strategy.

Ola Løkken Nordrum

UL Faculty Panel Discussion 

'Title'

Session sponsored by

Host:

Chair: Kieran O'Sullivan

Amanda Clifford 

Amanda is a Professor in Physiotherapy in the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick. Her current programme of research includes the design and evaluation interventions to optimise physical activity, health and wellbeing, and prevent falls in older people and people with neurological conditions and the role of technology in rehabilitation. She has a keen interest in the role of arts for health and in particular the benefits of music and dance for health and wellbeing.  She also has an interest in lower limb injury and sports performance, including movement analysis, and assessment of physical performance. 

Amanda was Course Director of the BSc in Physiotherapy and graduate entry MSc in Physiotherapy programmes in the University of Limerick and has an interest in evaluating and optimising teaching, learning and assessment practices in higher education, including interprofessional education. She previously worked clinically as a physiotherapist in the UK in the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, NHS Trust, the Whittington Hospital, NHS Trust London, UK and the Wellington Hospital, St. John s Wood in London.  

Rose Galvin

Rose is an Irish registered (CORU) Professor in Physiotherapy in the School of Allied Health (SAH). She completed her undergraduate physiotherapy degree, as well as her PhD at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Her research broadly focuses on the identification and management of older adults living with frailty across care settings. In the past five years, she has been awarded in excess of €3.3 million as Principal Investigator (PI) and a further €5 million as co-applicant from a number of grant funding agencies. In 2020, she was awarded a highly prestigious €1.5 million Health Research Board of Ireland (HRB) Research Leader in recognition of her track record of leading health research that has delivered evidence to directly inform changes in Irish health policy and practice. She has supervised 21 students across allied health, nursing, pharmacy and medicine to PhD completion.

Roisin Cahalan 

Roisin qualified as a physiotherapist in UL in 2008 and worked in many settings in the private and public sector prior to commencing work in UL in 2013 in a practice education role. She is now a Senior Lecturer in Respiratory and Cardiovascular Physiotherapy, and has taught on numerous modules across both the undergraduate and pre-qualification MSc Physiotherapy programmes. Her research area of interest are split between injury surveillance in elite athletes and dance, and physical activity in people with chronic disease. She is the co-founder of the SingStrong project, which is a clinically-based singing and breathing retraining programme for people with chronic respiratory disease. She is also dedicated to excellence in teaching and hold an MAandnbsp; in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship in Higher Education. A previous winner of both the UL Individual Teaching Excellence Award and the Shannon Consortium Teaching Excellence Award, she is also a member of the HRI and a founding member of the Physical Activity for Health Research Cluster.

Kieran O'Sullivan

Dr. Kieran O’Sullivan is a Chartered Physiotherapist, senior lecturer and researcher in the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick, Ireland. He has been teaching at UL since 2005 and holds a PhD in physiotherapy, with his doctoral research focusing on persistent low back pain, funded by the Health Research Board of Ireland.

Kieran’s academic work integrates teaching, research and clinical practice, with primary interests in musculoskeletal pain and injury, especially persistent spinal pain, and the application of biopsychosocial models of care. He has taught extensively on musculoskeletal pain both at UL and internationally and continues to contribute to clinical education and evidence-based practice.

A prolific scholar, Kieran has authored over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and other scholarly outputs, and has secured research funding in excess of €4 million for projects addressing back pain and related conditions. He is involved in multiple national and international research collaborations and continues to supervise postgraduate researchers.

In recognition of his contributions, he has received several awards from UL, including the President’s Research Excellence and Impact Award, and holds specialist physiotherapist status with the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. His work extends beyond academia into public engagement and professional development, including involvement in platforms such as Pain-Ed, which disseminates musculoskeletal pain research to clinicians and the public.

Guest Speaker 

'From the Outside Looking In - Physiotherapy Leadership and the Future of Irish Healthcare'

Session sponsored by Coloplast

Hosted by the ISCP Leadership Academy 

Chair: 

Carol O'Reilly 

Carol is owner and Manging Director of Redwood and Co.  With a background in Marketing, she has over 30 years of Organisational Development experience working in Ireland and with global clients and brands.  Carol is a highly skilled and experienced Leadership and Change Strategist, Facilitator and Executive Coach. She is currently completing a Certificate in Team Coaching (ICF Certified) and also holds a Certificate in Inquiry Driven Leadership from MIT.  She holds a variety of other certifications including Practitioner in Hogan Assessments, Leadership Coach for LVI (Leadership Versatility Index), INSIGHTS Discovery Practitioner, Working Genius Facilitator and an EQ Practitioner and Assessor (Six Seconds).  Carol is also a Board Member of Energy Mentors, a 501(c)(3) public charity, whose aim is to help the next generation and under-served communities shape a shared, sustainable energy future. Carol is also associated with the University of Limerick Kemmy Business School where she is a mentor/coach on their Wisdom in Action Leadership Experience program since its launch in 2023.

Brenda Monaghan (Arachas Research Bursary Winner 2025)

'Hip to same Day: Qualitative study to identify facilitators & barriers to outpatient total hip/knee arthroplasty'

Musculoskeletal 

'Title'

Hosted by Chartered Physiotherapists in Musculoskeletal Therapy (CPMT)  

Karen McCreesh

Prof Karen McCreesh is an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapy educator and clinician. Her research interests lie in the areas of shoulder dysfunction, musculoskeletal disorders, and ultrasound imaging. She completed her PhD in the area of mechanisms of rotator cuff tendinopathy, funded by a Research Fellowship from the Health Research Board of Ireland. She is Prof in Physiotherapy at the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick. She is a member of the Ageing Research Centre and the Health Research Institute. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, presented at national and international conferences, and provides CPD workshops for qualified physiotherapists. Karen  is passionate about supporting and disseminating evidence-based practice in the physiotherapy management of shoulder pain and is a founder member and Chair of the Irish Shoulder and Elbow Rehabilitation Society (www.isers.ie). 

Edel Williams

Edel graduated from the University of Bradford in 2004 and has spent over two decades working as a Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapist across a wide range of clinical roles and settings within the UK’s National Health Service. She began her career at Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where she developed a strong clinical foundation in MSK physiotherapy.

In 2021, Edel returned to Ireland and has since worked across both private and public healthcare services treating a broad spectrum of MSK conditions. She is currently employed by the Health Service Executive as a Senior Physiotherapist specialising in MSK and rheumatology in Galway City. Her role spans both Primary Care at Shantalla Health Centre and Acute Services at Merlin Park University Hospital.

Clinically, Edel has a special interest in shoulder assessment and rehabilitation. In 2023, she initiated a community physiotherapy-led pilot shoulder rehabilitation programme for GPs in the Galway region, titled the Galway Integrated Care Shoulder Pathway. The programme demonstrated strong clinical outcomes and, in 2024, secured Spark Innovation Funding to expand the service across Galway City West. The pathway continues to run successfully as a community physio-led, integrated care model, working closely with MSK triage and orthopaedic services at Merlin Park University Hospital.

Edel is passionate about developing innovative, integrated care pathways that improve access to specialist MSK rehabilitation while strengthening collaboration between primary care, physiotherapy, and orthopaedic services.

Eoin Ó Conaire

Eoin Ó Conaire is a Chartered Physiotherapist and PhD candidate, specialising in the assessment and rehabilitation of shoulder conditions, complex musculoskeletal presentations, and persistent pain. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Eoin is passionate about delivering evidence-based care that empowers individuals to move with confidence, reduce pain, and achieve meaningful recovery. His approach integrates hands-on expertise with a deep commitment to understanding the whole person, physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

Eoin draws on advanced clinical training, international research, and a background in elite sports and NHS leadership to support clients in managing pain, overcoming injury, and returning to the activities they value most. His work is grounded in the belief that effective rehabilitation starts with a thorough assessment, clear communication, and a collaborative treatment plan tailored to each individual’s goals.

Paediatrics 

'Title'

Hosted by Chartered Physiotherapists in Paediatrics (CPP)  

Susan Ward

Dr Susan Ward is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), where she has been a core member of the paediatric rheumatology team since its establishment in 2006. With nearly two decades of specialist clinical experience, she has developed extensive expertise in the assessment and management of children and adolescents with complex rheumatological conditions.
Dr Ward completed her PhD through the National Children’s Research Centre Clinical Fellowship Programme, focusing on paediatric joint hypermobility. Her doctoral research has contributed to a deeper understanding of the clinical presentation, functional impact, and management needs of this population, helping to inform evidence-based practice in paediatric physiotherapy.
She is actively involved in advancing models of care for children and young people with paediatric joint hypermobility, with a particular interest in early identification, multidisciplinary management, and improving patient pathways. Dr Ward is committed to translating research into clinical practice to enhance outcomes and quality of life for patients and their families.
In addition to her clinical and research roles, she contributes to education and professional development within paediatric physiotherapy and is an advocate for improving awareness and recognition of paediatric rheumatological conditions within healthcare systems.

AI and Research 

'Title'

Hosted by ISCP Research Network

Simulation 

'Designing healthcare simulation'

Chair

Esther O'Flaherty, HSCP Fellow NSO

Esther O'Flaherty holds a primary degree in Physiology from the University of Galway and qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist from RCSI. She completed a master's degree in advanced Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy at University College London (UCL), and earned a diploma in Patient Safety and Simulation from ICAPSS. She is dedicated to the education of healthcare professionals to ensure delivery of safe, and effective holistic patient care. Since becoming the HSCP fellow to the national simulation office, she has been embedded in the development of a number simulation programmes for both local and national clinical policies'.

MSK Diagnostic Ultrasound

'Title'

Chair

Mark Kingston

Mark Kingston is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Orthopaedic Triage with ULHG.  He has a specialist interest in MSK Ultrasound, performing 600-700 US-guided injections annually and using diagnostic ultrasound as an integral component of his clinical practice.  Mark has completed post-graduate training in Advanced MSK Assessment and Practice, including areas such Independent Prescribing, Injection Therapy and has been a CASE-accredited MSK Sonographer since 2015.

In addition to his clinical work, Mark lectures on the Advancing Practice MSc in Ulster University, Irelands only MSK Ultrasound programme.  He also mentors fellow HSCPs in advanced practice areas such as MSK Ultrasound, injection therapy and US-guided intervention.

Helen Welch

Helen is currently consultant MSK physiotherapist and FCP lead overseeing first contact physiotherapy provision in West Belfast Federation providing expert assessment and management of MSK conditions. She has done additional training to act as a non-medical independent prescriber and to perform joint and soft tissue injection. As well as post graduate training in physiotherapy, she is a CASE accredited sonographer, training in the provision of ultrasound guided injections.

She has been active within the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapy (MACP), recently stepping down as Chair of the organisation. She also previously co-chaired the MSK partnership group acting as project lead for the development of the UK MSK advanced practice standards. She is lecturers on the post graduate MSK provision for the Ulster University and injection therapy for SOMM. She is currently undertaking Professional Doctorate in Health at University of Bath looking at management of complexity in primary care and is currently CAHPR Research Champion for Northern Ireland.

Leadership 

'Title'

Carol O'Reilly 

Carol is owner and Manging Director of Redwood and Co.  With a background in Marketing, she has over 30 years of Organisational Development experience working in Ireland and with global clients and brands.  Carol is a highly skilled and experienced Leadership and Change Strategist, Facilitator and Executive Coach. She is currently completing a Certificate in Team Coaching (ICF Certified) and also holds a Certificate in Inquiry Driven Leadership from MIT.  She holds a variety of other certifications including Practitioner in Hogan Assessments, Leadership Coach for LVI (Leadership Versatility Index), INSIGHTS Discovery Practitioner, Working Genius Facilitator and an EQ Practitioner and Assessor (Six Seconds).  Carol is also a Board Member of Energy Mentors, a 501(c)(3) public charity, whose aim is to help the next generation and under-served communities shape a shared, sustainable energy future. Carol is delighted to be involved as a mentor/coach on the Wisdom in Action Leadership Experience program since its launch in 2023.