-MPT(Neurology), BPT, MDCPT, MIAP, HCPC registered Physiotherapist, Lifetime Member Spinal Cord Society of India. -Currently practicing at Brookfields Hospital, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation trust, United Kingdom as a Senior Physiotherapist. - Ex Physiotherapist at Spine & Rehabilitation Department- Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi, India. -A young Physiotherapist passionately helping individuals with spinal cord injuries reach their therapeutic goals and gain functional independence. -Founder of Rehabilitation essentials- providing low-cost assistive technology to individuals with SCI in India.

NO BIO

Thuvaraha Jeyakumaran (MMASc, Global Health Systems) is a knowledge mobilization specialist working at Parkwood Institute in London, Ontario, Canada, as a member of the Research 2 Practice team. Thuvaraha’s research is focused on healthy equity, knowledge translation and implementation science, especially in the context of marginalized populations. In her experience she has facilitated patient engagement, research knowledge mobilization strategies and the use of health equity impact assessments (HEIA) for engaging various stakeholders including researchers, clinicians, persons with lived experience, policy makers and more to help create informed decisions and mitigation strategies.

Vanessa is a physician and researcher with a passion for improving innovative and evidence-based rehabilitation, with a focus on strengthening rehabilitation services within health systems. She graduated from the University of Antioquia, Colombia in 2013 and as a specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in 2017. She became interested in rehabilitation very early in her medical studies. In 2011, Vanessa joined the Rehabilitation in Health Research Group, first as a research assistant and later as a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Antioquia. In the research group, she developed clinical practice guidelines for the Colombian government, measured disability and quality of life in older adults who had suffered traffic accidents, and developed a university model for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in higher education. From 2020 until joining the University of Lucerne, she worked at the Sensory Functions, Disability and Rehabilitation Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the development of the Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation as part of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 initiative. In May 2023, she completed a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her thesis focused on the effect of sex hormone levels during the acute rehabilitation phase after spinal cord injury and their impact on functioning. In 2021, Vanessa joined the team of Prof. Carla Sabariego to work in the field of rehabilitation and healthy ageing, where she has conducted research on models of rehabilitation service delivery at the University of Lucerne and on the challenges of ageing with a spinal cord injury at the Swiss Paraplegic Research in Nottwil.

Kazuki Kitade is a postdoctral researcher of Kyushu University and also selected as a postdoctoral researcher in the JSPS research fellowship program from 2023. He specializes in cellular biology and works on the investigation of pathogenesis in the spinal cord injury to establish new treatment. He uses neonatal spinal cord injury mouse model to figure out the regenerative capability of neonatal spinal cord. He has also been developing a new method of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord after injury to achieve spinal cord regeneration in the electrical field.

Dr Shane J.T. Balthazaar is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences and currently funded by Heart Research United Kingdom. Shane completed his PhD assessing cardiac function following SCI under the supervision of Professor Andrei Krassioukov. Shane's primary interests lie in understanding the impact of disease and physical activity on the cardiovascular system. Shane's expertise extends beyond research, encompassing teaching roles at the University of Birmingham and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. His dedication to mentorship and education is evident in his accolades, including the Outstanding Mentorship Award from Sonography Canada. Shane's impact is reflected through his involvement in various conferences and collaborative initiatives. He has moderated sessions, presented ground-breaking research findings, and engaged in international collaborations, fostering a global exchange of knowledge in cardiovascular health. In addition to his academic pursuits, Shane is actively involved in professional committees, contributing to the advancement of sonography practice and the development of national guidelines. His multifaceted approach to research, teaching, and engagement reflects his commitment to understanding and improving patient care.

Anna Nätkynmäki is Master of Sport Sciences, physiotherapist and doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä and she works at the BioMag Laboratory (HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki and Aalto University School of Science). Her work focuses on paired associative stimulation in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

After finishing my master's degrees in biochemical engineering and molecular and cellular neuroscience, I enrolled in a joint PhD program at the Bio-Imaging Lab (University Antwerp) and the University of Namur. In my research I aim to enhance prediction of behavioral outcome after spinal cord injury utilizing preclinical models of SCI. By employing advanced, non-invasive imaging methodologies (SV2A PET, diffusion MRI, structural MRI) I am searching for early prognostic indicators for injury outcomes, facilitating targeted care and the development of novel treatments.

As a physiotherapist and researcher, I am dedicated to bridging the gap between practice and research. My focus is to address practical questions to enhance patient care. Central to my work is the prevention of secondary complications, such as pressure ulcers, in individuals with spinal cord injuries.