Workshop 8
Tracks
Breakout 5
| Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM |
Overview
Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence in Spinal Cord Injury: improving access and personalising care.
Presenter (only the submitting author is listed below; co-presenters, where applicable, will be listed in the conference app)
Prof Anbananden Soopramanien
Visiting Professor
Neuram
Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence in Spinal Cord Injury: improving access and personalising care.
Biography
Professor Anba Soopramanien
MD PhD FRCP
Trained and worked in France (Bordeaux, Paris, Amiens); UK (Stoke Mandeville, London, Salisbury).
Worked internationally with International Red Cross Movement (Afghanistan, Peshawar, Romania)
Co-founder and Chair NEURAM FOUNDATION.
CEO Trust Tele-Rehab Ltd (UK).
Dr Francois de Villiers Theron obtained his pre-graduate degree in medicine from the University of Pretoria in 1991. He did his internship at Addington Hospital in Durban during 1992. He returned to Pretoria in 1993 and started working at 1 Military Hospital in the Orthopaedic Department and an interest in rehabilitation was sparked. This led him to accepting a position at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the UK during 1995 and 1996, where he worked at the National Spinal Cord Injuries Centre (NSIC). Dr Theron returned to South Africa in 1997 and completed his training in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University at Pretoria in 2001. He started his part-time private practice at Mediclinic Muelmed Hospital in 2002 and established the Muelmed Rehabilitation Centre. This centre is a 56 bed multi-disciplinary rehabilitation centre treating patients with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, progressive neurological diseases and amputees. Dr Theron is the Medical Director of this unit. Dr Theron is still affiliated with the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Pretoria where he lectures at a pre- and post-graduate level on Spinal Injuries. He has been appointed as an extra-ordinary lecturer to the Department of Orthopaedics, University of Pretoria. Dr Theron has a long association with the Southern Africa Spinal Cord Association (SASCA) as a founder member and past Chairman of the Association. He is the current representative for SASCA on the International Spinal Cord Association (ISCoS). He serves on the External Relations Committee of ISCoS and is the Chair of the Affiliated Societies and Network sub-committee. Dr Theron has published several articles in peer reviewed journals and has had a number of congress podium presentations. He holds a diploma in Managing Health Care Transformation from Harvard University and is a member of the South African Orthopaedic Association and the South African Spine Society.
Shiva Jamwal:
I am a consultant Occupational Therapist with over two decades of experience, specialising in the rehabilitation and management of spinal cord injuries and complex neurological conditions. My clinical practice is deeply rooted in comprehensive patient care. Beyond direct clinical work, I possess strong management and strategic leadership skills, honed through developing and overseeing rehabilitation services in both private and NHS settings. My commitment to advancing neurorehabilitation extends globally, with significant teaching and service development initiatives in India and Mauritius, alongside my impactful contributions within the UK, at the National Spinal Injury Centre, Stoke Mandeville and Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, UK. This blend of clinical depth, leadership, and international engagement drives my dedication to improving outcomes in neurorehabilitation.