Assoc Prof Roger Kerry 

United Kingdom

Roger is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is a qualified Chartered Physiotherapist, and an honorary Fellow of the UK’s Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. His main clinical research interests have been in adverse events and physiotherapy interventions of the head and neck, particularly on the causal nature of the interventions. Roger is also undertaking research activity in the Philosophy of Science, investigating the nature of causation in the health sciences, and this was the focus of his PhD. He is well- published in these areas and has been an invited speaker at numerous international conferences. He has received two prestigious Lord Dearing Awards for teaching excellence, and was recognised as Higher Education Social Media Superstar by UK digital education organisation JISC. 

Title of Keynote: 
How physiotherapy got science so wrong: evidence, prediction, and person-centred care

Prof Chris Littlewood 

United Kingdom 

Chris is a Professor of Musculoskeletal Research at Manchester Metropolitan University. He qualified as a physiotherapist in 1998 from the University of Leeds before commencing a clinical career in the NHS and private sector. During this time he undertook an MSc in Health Services Research at the University of Sheffield before being awarded a National Institute for Health Research Fellowship to undertake a PhD entitled ‘assessment and management of rotator cuff tendinopathy.’ Chris has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, many in relation to the rotator cuff, including non-surgical and surgical management and rehabilitation following surgical repair. He has contributed to almost £5 million pounds of research grant capture, including over £1 million as lead applicant. He is currently chair of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s Scientific Panel.

Title of Keynote: 
Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair

Dr Andrea Polli 

Brussels 

Andrea, PT-OMT, MSc (Pain), PhD is a physiotherapist and OMT manual therapist, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL). He obtained his bachelor and master’s degree in rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders in Italy, where he worked as a clinician for a few years. He then moved from Italy to the UK, to obtain the MSc in Pain: Science & Society at the prestigious King’s College London. After the MSc, he returned to Italy and worked as a clinician and clinical researcher at the IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, in Venice. Andrea then moved to Belgium, where he obtained his joint PhD at the VUB and KUL, exploring the link between epigenetic mechanisms and exercise in people with persistent pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. He is part of the Pain in Motion group since 2015.

Title of Keynote:
Complex pain, epigenetics, and physiotherapy

Dr Susan Whitney 

America 

Susan, DPT, PhD, NCS, ATC, FAPTA received her PhD in motor development/motor learning from the University of Pittsburgh and her professional physical therapy education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Currently, she is a professor in physical therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Whitney is supported by the Department of Defense to develop technology for persons with vestibular disorders, telehealth, and to study exercise dosage. Dr. Whitney has authored or coauthored over 160 articles on Medline and is currently engaged in research related to concussion and persons with balance and vestibular disorders. She is a past Vice President and past President of the Academy of Neurologic PT and is currently the Vice President of the International Neurologic PT subgroup of World Physiotherapy. Dr. Whitney was a past author on the CPG for BPPV for the Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy’s CPG on vestibular hypofunction.

Title of Keynote: 
Physiotherapy examination and interventions for dizziness: What we know about prediction, prevention, participation and the value of personalised care

Professor Anna Campbell 

United Kingdom 

Anna is Professor in Clinical Exercise Science at Edinburgh Napier University. Her first degree is in Immunology and she has a PhD in Biochemistry. For the past 20 years she has worked in the field of exercise oncology and has been instrumental in the implementation of evidence-based exercise programmes for people affected by cancer across UK. She is principal investigator / co-investigator on Macmillan, NIHR, CSO and Breast Cancer Now funded research grants and has published over 50 peer reviewed research papers and three educational book chapters on the subject of cancer and exercise.
As key advisor to Macmillan Cancer Care, she worked on the development of the MoveMore programmes in Scotland and the evaluation of the UK wide MoveMore programmes.

Professor Campbell is also Director of CanRehab (www.canrehab.co.uk) - an international provider of training on exercise based cancer rehabilitation for health professionals and fitness specialists. She is part of a small internatio nal working group of exercise experts responsible for updating the evidence-based exercise prescription guidelines and the guidelines for the provision of clinical and community-based exercise programmes for cancer patients and survivors. The findings were published in three papers in November 2019.

Title of Keynote: 
Living with Cancer - Movement Matters

Darren Brown

United Kingdom 

Darren is a clinical and academic Physiotherapist specialising in the field of HIV, disability and rehabilitation. Darren leads the HIV rehabilitation service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Europe’s Largest HIV centre. He is the Vice-Chair of Rehabilitation in HIV Association (RHIVA), HIV/AIDS coordinator of World Physiotherapy subgroup IPT-HOPE, and steering committee member of Canada International HIV Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CIHRRC). Darren was awarded an NIHR funded Masters of Clinical Research (MRes) in 2018 and continues to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research about disability and rehabilitation among people living with HIV in the UK. Darren contributes to national and international programmes focusing on disability inclusion across all responses to HIV. Darren contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and continues to live with Long COVID. He is a patient advocate for Long COVID research, calling for the greater involvement and meaningful engagement of people living with Long COVID in all responses to COVID-19.

Sinead Delahunty 

Ireland 

Sinéad is a graduate of physiotherapy from UCD (2012) and has worked in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown since 2014. Here she has worked extensively in inpatient and outpatient care.

In January 2021, Sinéad started her current post as Senior Physiotherapist in Post COVID-19 Clinic and Ambulatory Respiratory Care. She is also heavily involved in the COVID@Home Monitoring service that Connolly Hospital provides to appropriate patients upon discharge from hospital.

She is one of the founding members of the Post COVID-19 Physiotherapy Working Group to ensure peer support, equitable care and information sharing in this new field of physiotherapy.

Saul Cobbing 

South Africa 

Saul is a qualified Physiotherapist and Biokineticist, and currently is an associate professor and Head of Department in the Discipline of Physiotherapy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. His duties include teaching and supervising research for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. He graduated with a PhD in Physiotherapy in April 2017 and is currently a fellow on the College of Health Science's Developing Research, Innovation, Localization and Leadership in South Africa (DRILL) Programme.

His post-doctoral research aims to develop and implement community interventions for the rehabilitation of people living with HIV and other chronic diseases, in under-resourced communities. He has published 30 peer-reviewed articles to date. 

Martina Santambrogio 

Italy 

Martina first studied biology at the University of Milan and in 2009 she obtained a PhD in cellular and molecular biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (France). In 2014 she completed her physiotherapy training at the University of Milan (Italy) and one year later she got the postgraduate degree in cardio-pulmonary and critical care physiotherapy (University of Milan – Italy). Since 2014 Martina developed her own private practice in Milan, with an emphasis on home-based physiotherapy, respiratory care and lymphology. Since 2019 she collaborates with a teaching hospital in Milan (Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda – Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Respiratory Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Adult Center), where her work focus are bronchiectasis and research in the domain of respiratory physiotherapy.
Since 2015 she held the role of Secretary of the Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapy (ARIR) and since 2020 she is also part of the Executive Committee of the regional section of the Italian Association of Physiotherapy (Sezione territorial Lombardia di AIFI).

Magdalena Veronesi 

Argentina 

Ph.D., B. Sc. Kinesiology and Physiotherapy University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Care and Critical Care specialist-Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Intensiva ( SATI) (Argentine Society of Intensive Care)- Universidad Nacional San Martín (UNSAM) (San Martin National University).

Professor at the School of Medicine and at Kinesiology and Physiotherapy School in degree courses and specialty careers at University of Buenos Aires, at Favaloro University and at Maimónides University.

Consultant of the Board of Directors of the School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Chairwoman of Argentine Society of Cardiorespiratory Kinesiology (SAKiCaRe).

Clinical specialist on ventilation at Air Liquide Argentina. Medical local expert at Air Liquide Marketing Support Healthcare.

Simon Décary

Canada 

Simon is a physiotherapist and assistant professor of rehabilitation at the Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé de l’Université de Sherbrooke. He heads the Patient-Oriented Rehabilitation Lab whose mission is to help organize person-centred primary care rehabilitation services to provide a quality and safe experience and improve quality of life.

His funded research work include the implementation of shared decision making in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he now works with patients living with Long Covid, post-viral chronic fatigue and myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Dr Vishwa Prakash Gupta

India 

Dr Gupta was superannuated in the month of March from the post of Chief Physiotherapist, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi. Vishwa was deployed in department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and was Head of Physiotherapy Unit in the department, as well as leading the The Centre for Integrated Medicine and Research in the institute. Vishwa joined the institute in January 1985 in CTVS department as a Physiotherapist.

At present Vishwa is a member of the Delhi Council for Physiotherapy and Occ. Therapy - a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare- Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, and is a member of Physiotherapy cell and the Registration and Equivalence Committe of the council.

Etienne Ngeh 

Cameroon 

Etienne is a trained Cameroonian Physiotherapist and Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist based in Cameroon. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy and a Masters of Science in Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation from the University of Chester, England. He is the Head of Physiotherapy Department St. Louis University Bamenda, Cameroon, and leads the Physiotherapy service of the Regional Hospital Bamenda. He is the founder and promoter of the Research Organization for Health Education and Rehabilitation-Cameroon (ROHER-CAM). He is the current Chair of the Guideline-International-Network (GIN) African Regional Community. He is also one of the founders and coordinators of African Rehabilitation Network a community of practice with Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Community Based Rehabilitation Workers among others practicing in the region. Some of his recent publications include; Ngeh EN et al. (2021). A report on the development of COVID-19 guidelines for rehabilitation professionals in African settings. Ngongalah L, Ngeh EN, Ssemwanga A (2021). Mentorship as a strategy to improve research ability of students and young researchers in Africa: an exploratory study and initial findings on the CORE Africa Research Mentorship Scheme. Ngeh EN, Kuaban C. (2020). COVID-19: challenges and the impact on care in clinical settings in Cameroon.

Physical Activity & Mental Health 

Title of presentation:
No health without mental health: why mental health is all our physiotherapists business and what does the evidence say?

Dr Brendon Stubbs

United Kingdom  

Brendon's research focusses on physical activity and mental health and the relationship between having a sound mind and body. Dr Stubbs is ranked as one of the world’s most influential mental health researchers according to Clarivate™ “Web of Science” from an International pool of 8 million scientists https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2020/.

Brendon has published over 550 academic papers and given over 250 invited talks on mental health and lifestyle across the world. Brendon’s research is frequently featured in multiple media outlets such as the New York Times, TIME magazine, Forbes, CNN, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, BBC news, ITV news and Sky News (among others). Brendon has also has several number 1 podcasts including with Dr Rangan Chatterjee (https://drchatterjee.com/how-exercise-changes-your-brain-and-reduces-your-risk-of-depression/).

Brendon was lead author of the recently published European Psychiatric Association guidelines on the use of exercise for mental health and senior author on a recent Lancet commission to improve the wellbeing of people with mental health conditions. Brendon has worked in mental health services for almost 20 years and continues to greatly cherish and learn from patients in his weekly physiotherapy clinic in a secure forensic service.

Trinity Exercise Oncology Research Group  

Title of presentation: 
Exercise Oncology: Latest research and Future Priorities

Professor Juliette Hussey

Ireland 

Professor Hussey is a Professor in Physiotherapy in the Discipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin and the Survivorship Research Theme Lead at the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute. Professor Hussey leads a group working in the area of exercise rehabilitation in patients with cancer. Her research is translational and is aimed at scientifically improving exercise prescription to optimise therapeutic responses. This includes evaluating means of improving physical capacity preoperatively to reduce postoperative morbidity for patients undergoing complex cancer surgery. A challenge in the area of exercise and cancer is to determine underlying mechanisms and her group is working with clinical scientists in this respect. Her current research in oesophageal, hepatopancreaticobiliary and thoracic cancer is funded by the Health Research Board and the Irish Cancer Society. Recently completed work in the areas of oesophageal and prostate cancer was funded by the Health Research Board and the World Cancer Research Fund. Professor Hussey has a strong publication record which numbers over 85 full paper publications. In addition, she has co-edited three books and 12 book chapters. In terms of research supervision, she has supervised 30 post graduate students to completion (9 PhD and 21 MSc).

Dr Emer Guinan

Ireland  

Emer is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine with responsibility for the Interprofessional Learning programme for the Faculty of Health Sciences. Her main research interest is in the role of exercise and physical activity in ameliorating treatment side effects and optimising survivorship for patients with cancer. Her work considers both the therapeutic and the physiological impact of exercise programmes. She has a particular interest in the role of exercise for patients with complex cancer presentations including patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and those with advanced disease. She has been awarded >€1.7 million in research funding as either principle investigator or co-applicant from external peer-reviewed grants (Health Research Board, Irish Cancer Society, Medical Charities Research Group), external research bursaries (Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists) and internal competitions from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Trinity College. She has published over 50 peer reviewed publications and 1 book chapter.

Dr Linda O'Neill

Ireland 

Linda is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Discipline of Physiotherapy. She completed her PhD in 2018 which investigated the efficacy of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in oesophago-gastric cancer survivorship. She has a keen research interest in exercise oncology, in particular exercise in cancer survivorship. Her work has been widely published and she has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally. She currently works as a Project Manager on the HRB/MRCG funded Preoperative Exercise to Improve Fitness in Patients Undergoing Complex Surgery for Cancer of the Lung or Oesophagus (PRE-HIIT) trial and the HRB funded Rehabilitation Strategies following Oesophago-gastric and Hepatopancreaticobiliary Cancer (ReStORe II) trial.

Dr Gráinne Sheill

Ireland 

Gráinne is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Cancer Rehabilitation in St. James's Hospital Dublin. She has worked clinically in St. James's Hospital since 2012 and completed her PhD and post doctorate training in exercise oncology in Trinity College Dublin. Her work has been widely published and she has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally. Her main research interest is the implementation of cancer rehabilitation into clinical practice. She was awarded the Irish Cancer Society Stimulus Award in 2018 to explore the feasibility of implementing exercise-based rehabilitation programmes in a National Cancer Centre and was the Irish Cancer Society's post-doctorate researcher of the year in 2019.

Dr Louise Brennan

Ireland 

Louise is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Postdoctoral Researcher in the Discipline of Physiotherapy in Trinity College Dublin. Her main research interests are technology in healthcare and cancer rehabilitation. She completed a Marie Curie PhD Fellowship in 2020, which was performed across University College Dublin, Beacon Hospital, Dublin, and Salumedia, a digital therapeutics company in Seville, Spain. Louise’s PhD focused on developing a mobile application and wearable sensor system to support patients during rehabilitation after surgery for breast cancer. She has presented nationally and internationally, and has been published in journals across the disciplines of healthcare, electrical engineering and computer science. Louise now works with the Trinity Exercise Oncology Research Group as Postdoctoral Researcher and interim Project Manager in two virtually-delivered exercise oncology randomised controlled trials (PRE-HIIT and ReStOre II).

The Trinity Exercise Oncology Research Group is a multidisciplinary group conducting research into the role of exercise in cancer care. The group, which has been in existence since 2009, has led the design, delivery and evaluation of several clinical trials and exploratory studies across a range of cancer types. In 2018/2019, the Trinity Exercise Oncology Research Group was awarded approximately €1.3 million in funding by the Health Research Board (HRB), Medical Research Charities Group (MRCG), the Irish Cancer Society and the All-Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care to allow expansion of the cancer survivorship programme. The core value of the research programme is to conduct patient-centred, interprofessional, clinically pragmatic research that have the potential to positively benefit patient care.
Keep up to date current projects and events on our webpage at https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/physiotherapy/research/exercise-oncology.php

RESPIRATORY CARE

Title of presentation: 
Dysfunctional Breathing – A `Personalised Approach

Rachel Garrod 

Spain  

Dr Rachel Garrod PhD. MSc. MCSP, graduated from Guys School of Physiotherapy in 1991 and then worked in a number of teaching hospitals in London. In 1987 she obtained an M.Sc. in Health Sciences and specialised in respiratory care. In 2001 she was awarded a PhD in pulmonary rehabilitation. As Assistant Professor Physiotherapy, St George’s University she led on undergraduate and post graduate respiratory teaching and research. With over 100 peer reviewed publications, a number of book chapters and as editor of “Pulmonary Rehabilitation: An interdisciplinary approach”, she is an international expert on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Clinically, Rachel’s area of expertise is in the delivery of exercise for people with chronic health problems, such as diabetes, COPD, renal failure and hypertension. Her rehabilitation programmes feature components such as balance re-education, progressive resisted exercise, gait and posture training. She teaches breathing re-training and provides physical activity therapies for people with cardio-respiratory conditions, such as asthma, emphysema, hyperventilation, and panic disorders. She is trained in both mindfulness and hypnotherapy.

Rachel moved to Spain in 2014, where she provides domiciliary respiratory physiotherapy and stop smoking counselling. She works in in conjunction with a number of hospitals and clinics in Marbella. Rachel continues to be active in lecturing, recently speaking at the 29th Annual Panhellenic Scientific Congress of Physiotherapy, Athens, December 2019 and providing online teaching for Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care, February 2021 .

Enhanced Community Care Programme - Community Hubs 

Angela Ryan 

Ireland 

Angela (MISCP) is a Senior Physiotherapist in University Hospital Limerick, currently working in Acute Medical Respiratory services and as HSCP Lead to the National Clinical Programme – Respiratory, having had extensive experience in acute care and specialist palliative care settings.
She graduated with a BSc (Physiotherapy) Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, a MSc (Clinical Therapies), University of Limerick, and currently undertaking a Specialist Diploma in Lean Healthcare in the University of Limerick.
She has presented research on Physiotherapy in progressive respiratory diseases at national and international conferences, co-authored a publication on outcome measurement in palliative care and contributed to the development of the Guidelines for the Physiotherapy Management of Motor Neuron Disease. She is currently involved in reviewing Physiotherapy input for patients admitted with COPD exacerbations.

Inclusion Health

Title of Presentation: 
Inclusion Health: The Role of Physiotherapy

Title of Presentation: 
Inclusion Health and its application to Physiotherapy

Dr Clíona Ní Cheallaigh

Cliona is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine, TCD and a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine in St James’s Hospital, Dublin. She is the Clinical Lead of the Inclusion Health Service in St James’s Hospital dedicated to improving access to specialist hospital care for socially excluded individuals.

Her research seeks to look at the effect of social exclusion on health from a number of perspectives, and includes work on health systems design and evaluation, work funded by the HRB on premature ageing in homeless adults and work on the effect of social exclusion on the immune system funded by the Royal City of Dublin Hospitals Trust. She has a strong interest in ensuring equity of outcomes for socially excluded people living with HIV.

She is also part of the SFI-funded COVID-19 Research Hub in TCD, with a particular interest in looking at why people who are marginalized are more likely to get severe COVID-19.

Sinead Kiernan 

Sinéad is a Chartered Physiotherapist currently working at Clontarf Hospital. Sinéad completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin in 2018. She then worked at St. James’s hospital while completing a research masters degree, graduating in 2020. Sinéad’s MSc explored a profiling study of physical function and performance in inpatient adults experiencing homelessness at St. James’s Hospital. Her publications include; a scoping review of physical functioning limitations and physical activity of people experiencing homelessness (HRB open) and Feasibility of a Broad Test Battery to Assess Physical Functioning Limitations of People Experiencing Homelessness (IJERPH). She has a keen interest in inclusion health, equality, orthopedics and geriatric rehabilitation

Dr Julie Broderick 

Dr. Julie Broderick (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Professor at the Discipline of Physiotherapy in Trinity College Dublin. She is a past Health Research Board Research Fellow (2008-2012) and a Cochrane Fellow (2015-2017). Her previous clinical work as a physiotherapist has guided her research interest at the interface between physical-focussed variables and a breadth of chronic diseases. She has a special interest in the area of Inclusion health and the physical health profile of vulnerable and socially excluded populations such as those experiencing homelessness. She has lectured widely nationally and internationally and a number of publications have emanated from her work. She is a course co-coordinator for the new MSc in Cancer Survivorship in Trinity College Dublin and she coordinates modules across the Dublin and Singapore physiotherapy programmes of Trinity College Dublin.

Paediatrics 

Title of Presentation: 
Can we P4 Healthcare? Learnings from a multi-site knowledge translation project for children with cerebral palsy

Christine Imms

Australia 

Christine (BAppSc(OT), MSc, PhD, Fellow OTARA) is the Apex Australia Foundation Chair of Neurodevelopment and Disability at the University of Melbourne.

Using a range of methods and approaches, Christine’s 20+ years of research has predominantly involved children and young people with cerebral palsy, and been focused on describing patterns of participation, developing measures, designing and testing interventions of relevance to occupational therapy and other allied health practices, and engaging in knowledge translation.

Claire Kerr

Northern Ireland 

Claire (BSc (Hons) Physio, PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation at Queen’s University Belfast. She co-manages the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register and leads a programme of clinical and epidemiological research that aims to improve the health, well-being and provision of clinical services for children and young people with physical disabilities.

Claire works with children and families, clinicians, academics, charities and industry partners to describe the numbers and needs of people with cerebral palsy, evaluate interventions, develop measures, and embed patient and public involvement and knowledge translation in her research. 

Women's Health

Title of Presentation: 
Oredicting OASI and Postpartum Faecal Incontinence: Can we do better than population data? 

Tarryn Hallam

Australia 

Taryn is a physiotherapist who has worked exclusively in the area of Women’s Health Physiotherapy for over 20 years. Her career has included 10 years clinical practice in each of the public (2000 – 2010) and private (2010 – 2019) sectors, as well as regularly being invited as an advisor to both government and professional task forces involved with the improvement in policy within women’s health. She is a regular invited speaker at both physiotherapy and medical / surgical conferences in the field. Since 2011, Taryn has been the Director and primary lecturer within Women’s Health Training Associates (WHTA Pty Ltd), a company focused on bringing the most recent research in the field of pelvic floor physiotherapy to clinicians through regular research updates and professional development seminars.

Her current focus however is her recent partnership with the Australian Physiotherapy Association to develop and present the “APA Women’s Health Physiotherapy” Career Pathway training program. This program is a new initiative for the Australian Physiotherapy Association to create a formalised Level 1-3 professional development program for physiotherapists wanting to obtain competency in the field of women’s health physiotherapy.

Technology 

Title of Presentation: 
Translating technology into practice: Still more virtual than real

Title of Presentation:
Digital Physiotherapy– Help or Hindrance?

Professor Suzanne McDonough

Suzanne is a Professor and Head of RCSI School of Physiotherapy, and holds professorial appointments at Ulster University UK, and University of Otago, NZ; and is a visiting Professor with the University of Southampton. 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, has published widely in her area of expertise (over 100 papers; H-index=43) related to physical activity, exercise and rehabilitation of various movement conditions

Suzanne is expert in the development and evaluation of rehabilitation interventions in clinical populations with movement challenges (e.g. due to pain, neurological injury, ageing etc.). She is interested in the use of technology to enhance rehabilitation adherence, and promote general health and wellbeing. Examples of technology she has developed and/or tested in clinical trials are virtual reality in stroke; and pedometers/wearables as motivational tools to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour e.g. low back pain, respiratory disease, stroke, mental health and cancer.

Dr Dara Meldrum

Dara is a Physiotherapist and Senior Research Fellow at the Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin. She works clinically at the Balance Centre in Ranelagh, Dublin where she specialises in Vestibular Rehabilitation. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she has worked in Physiotherapy departments in Canada and Ireland, and she obtained a Masters in Neurorehabilitation from Brunel University, London. She was a senior research physiotherapist in Beaumont Hospital before joining the newly formed RCSI School of Physiotherapy in 2000 and holding Lecturer and Senior Lecturer posts until 2017. She completed a PhD with a focus on technology in Vestibular Rehabilitation. She has published over 70 peer reviewed publications, 5 book chapters and has over 100 conference proceedings. She lectures, researches and teaches extensively in the area of Vestibular Rehabilitation and in Motor Neuron Disease. She is presently funded by Enterprise Ireland to commercialise VERTIGENIUS, a digital health platform with wearable sensor, which she invented for use in vestibular and balance rehabilitation. Her interests are in harnessing technology for easier access to rehabilitation and for improved, cost-effective outcomes. The session at which she speaks at the conference this year will be of interest to delegates who have an interest in the application of patient apps and wearable sensors in rehabilitation

Cardiology 

Title of Presentation: 
Exercise and Cardiovascular Health: Avoiding the cardinal sin of undertraining your patient cohort

Denise Dunne 

Ireland 

Denise graduated from the University of Limerick in 2006 with a BSc. (Hons) degree in Sports and Exercise Science, and completed a PgDip in Physiotherapy at the University of Huddersfield in the UK. Denise is an experienced clinician with a diverse range of clinical skills and experience across a variety of acute, sub-acute and rehabilitative settings. Completing her Masters in Preventive Cardiology in 2015, with the thesis focused on sedentary behavior and physical activity levels of the Irish Heart Failure population. Denise is currently presuming a Higher Diploma in Business Analytics and hopes to graduate later this year. Denise works as a Senior Physiotherapist with the Respiratory Integrated Care (RIC) team in primary and secondary care and has worked with the Health and Wellbeing Division of the HSE to develop a national model of care for cardiac rehabilitation in Ireland. Denise has worked as the Physiotherapy and Physical Activity Manager at the National Institute for Preventive Cardiology based in the Croí Heart and Stroke Centre, Galway. Denise is currently part of the teaching faculty at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and is also involved in the teaching of the BSc. Physiotherapy Heart Failure module at RCSI and UCD. Denise currently is the Chairperson for the Clinical Interest group of Physiotherapists in Cardiac Services and past vice-president of the Irish Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation (IACR).

Advanced Practice

Title of Presentations: 

• The ISCP Advanced Practice Project
• Advanced Practice Physiotherapy in Beaumont Hospital

Dr Marie O'Mir, Ivan Clancy and Catherine O' Sullivan 

Ireland 

Marie is the Advanced Practice Project Officer for the ISCP. She worked in an Advanced Practice Role, in Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), Crumlin, Dublin where she established the first National Paediatric Orthopaedic Triage service in 2010, for which she received a National Healthcare commendation in 2012 for ‘Outpatient Innovation of the year’ and was shortlisted for HSCP Best Practice and Innovation Award in 2018. She has been a member of the Ponseti team in CHI Crumlin for 11 years.

Marie completed her PhD in UCD in 2019 evaluating ‘The Efficacy of Advanced Practice Physiotherapists in Paediatric Orthopaedic Triage’. She regularly lectures on paediatric orthopaedics and advanced practice at CPD courses and also as part of the undergraduate physiotherapy courses in TCD , UCD and RCSI. Marie has presented her research both nationally and internationally, and has won several awards for best poster and best research presentations. She has delivered presentations at the World Congress of Physical Therapists in Singapore 2015, in Cape Town in July 2017 and in Geneva in 2019. She has published her work on Advanced Practice Physiotherapy both nationally and internationally.

In 2021 Marie compiled a report for the ISCP building on the existing work commenced by the ISCP by collating the evidence (both from a clinical and a health economic perspective), stating the case for physiotherapists in Advanced Physiotherapy Practice and evaluating the evidence for physiotherapists to refer for medical diagnostic imaging. This report demonstrates the legislative and employment case for physiotherapists working in advanced practice

Catherine O’Sullivan

Catherine is currently the Physiotherapy Manager of Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals. She completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin in 1993 and worked for many years as a Senior Physiotherapist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery in University Hospital Galway (UHG) becoming an expert practitioner in hand therapy, and was involved in research and audit leading to many changes in practice in the management of tendon repairs and an expanded role for physiotherapy on the team. Catherine took on a management role in 2014 as Physiotherapy Manager University Hospital Galway (UHG). She completed an MSc in Leadership at RCSI Institute of Leadership in 2018, providing her with the opportunity to develop and enhance her knowledge of concepts, theories, research and best practice relating to leadership in healthcare settings, and training in the use of associated models and tools.
In her role as Physiotherapy Manager, Catherine leads and coordinates the Physiotherapy Service at Galway University Hospitals as a Regional Centre of Excellence and Roscommon University Hospital in line with best practice to provide a patient centred physiotherapy service. This includes overseeing the delivery of advanced physiotherapy practice in addition to providing strategic vision and direction for future developments.

Deirdre Winters 

Northern Ireland 

Deirdre is a physiotherapist working in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. She is currently the First Contact Physiotherapy Lead working with the West Belfast GP Federation. In her substantive Assistant Physiotherapy Service Manager post, she is responsible for the delivery of physiotherapy services across musculoskeletal outpatients, trauma & orthopaedics and pelvic health (including the Regional physiotherapy haemophilia service, paediatric rheumatology service and amputee service). She has over 20 years’ clinical experience across a range of musculoskeletal fields including sports medicine, musculoskeletal outpatients and rheumatology. Deirdre is the current chair of the Northern Ireland CSP Board.

Student Led Session 

Title of Presentation: 
Transgender Athletes, Science and Policy. 

Title of Presentation:
The importance of and benefits to accepting and including transgender people

Joanna Harper

United Kingdom 

In 2015 Joanna Harper published the first peer-reviewed article containing quantitative analysis of the athletic performance of transgender athletes with differing hormonal values. In the fall of 2019 Harper relocated to Loughborough University where she is now engaged full-time in the study of transgender athletic performance as a PhD researcher. She currently has two studies underway; one is a prospective study on the changes experienced by transgender athletes as they progress through hormone therapy and the other is an observational study of performance differences in athletes before and after hormone therapy. In 2021 Harper was the lead author of a BJSM-published systematic review of those hormone-based changes in non-athletic trans women that could be important for sports performance. She is the author of the Rowman and Littlefield book Sporting Gender: The History, Science and Stories of Transgender and Intersex Athletes. Harper has served as an advisor on transgender and intersex athletes to multiple sporting federations since 2015.

Philippa Ryder 

Ireland 

Philippa is a wife, parent, civil service employee and Chief Operations Officer of Under the Rainbow, a workplace wellness, diversity and inclusion company.

She’s also a transgender woman who is passionate about helping others see the benefits of embracing and supporting everyone in society, believing that being able to be yourself both in work and your daily life is beneficial for all.

Her memoir is due from Mercier Press in October 2021.

Collaboration with Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute 

Title of Presentation:
Current evidence-based interventions for obesity disease management

Emer O'Malley and Colin Dunlevy

Ireland 

Emer  is a Senior Physiotherapist working as part of the Weight Management Service in St. Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Dublin. She also shares this role with a 0.5 Practice Tutor post. She graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy and has worked in weight management and practice education for over 12 years. Her clinical and research interests include the assessment and treatment of adult obesity within a tier 3 and 4 service, including musculoskeletal health, physical function, lower limb swelling, sleep, cardiorespiratory impairment and lifestyle management. She was awarded the Montgomery medal from the Irish Endocrine Society for her work on lower limb swelling. Ongoing research includes the association of physical function measures with sleep, cardiorespiratory impairment, frailty, falls history and metabolic syndrome.

She is a guest lecturer on the undergraduate physiotherapy programmes in Trinity College and University College Dublin and the Masters programme in UCC and has completed a postgraduate diploma in Teaching and Learning. She is currently on secondment to the Professional Masters Physiotherapy Programme in UCD as a specialist lecturer and practice tutor. Her practice education research to date has focused on creating supportive learning environments, assessment practices and enabling the feedback process. She has a keen interest in communication strategies to support both people living with obesity and student learning.

Diarmuid Duggan 

Ireland 

Dietetic Manager Bon Secours Health System. BSc Sport & Exercise Science, PgDip in Nutritional Science, PgDip in Dietetics, Ma Cognitive & Behavioural Therapy

Diarmuid is a dietitian with extensive experience in facilitating patients through out their weight loss/ obesity disease journey.
He is  currently chair of the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Association (INDI) weight management interest group and  associate member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
Diarmuid understands the complex nature of obesity and aims to facilitate individuals to meet their personal goals in a non judgemental person centred approach.

Research Network 

Title of Presentation: How to make convincing graphs and attractive tables

Professor Ronan Conroy  

Professor Conroy is an emeritus professor in RCSI, where he taught evidence based health and biostatistics for many years. He started off in music education, but somehow drifted into health research. Professor Conroy has been the equivalent of a country doctor – and any research problem that walks through the door is his job. His research includes running public health trials of solar disinfection in developing countries, designing and running the first three published trials in Africa, and field research into drinking water quality and diarrhœal disease. Other developing country research includes sex worker advocacy and traditional birth attendant programme evaluation.
He has a keen interest in mental health, and his research in this area includes stigma, mood and wellbeing in hepatitis C, social factors in mental health, and development of measurement tools for health outcomes. Professor Conroy has also researched sexual violence, worry, boredom (a really interesting area!) and even has a couple of stats papers to his name.

He is fascinated by bad graphs and ugly tables, and by avant-garde music of the 1960s, which his wife refers to as "uneasy listening". 

Professional Practice

Title of Presentation: The 4P's of Professional Practice 

Esther-Mary D'Arcy 

Esther-Mary is professional advisor at the ISCP. She served as President from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, she was a Council member as chair of the International Affairs Standing Committee as well as sitting on several national committees and the Western Branch.

A graduate of the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, she holds a Masters in Health Promotion from the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). As a clinician, she worked in hospitals in Dublin and Galway and specialised in Women’s Health and in Neurology, As Physiotherapist Manager she was the first health care professional appointed to a union management partnership committee in Ireland.

A qualified facilitator and mediator, she also has a Diploma in the Psychology of Counselling from NUIG and a certificate in Employment Law. She worked as a Facilitator for a regional Health Board before being appointed to the Health Services National Partnership Forum.

She is currently Chair of the Europe Region of World Physiotherapy having previously been vice-chair, chair of the Education Group Working Group and currently chairs the Professional Practice Working Group.
Esther-Mary has extensive experience in the area of professional practice and professional ethics as well as governance and a career long interest in professionalism, the profession and the ISCP.

She lives on the edge of the Western seaboard.