Key speakers for WCPT Congress 2021 announced

The congress programme includes 12 confirmed focused symposia featuring 55 speakers from around the world. Focused symposia are core sessions where cutting edge relevant topics will be explored from an international and diverse perspective. High profile speakers will create insightful and engaging learning experiences that ultimately inform, inspire, involve and empower delegates. Details of the newly announced symposia, including speakers, are provided in the attached sheets. 

“We were incredibly pleased with the breadth and quality of the many proposals we received. The focused symposia to be presented in Dubai combine truly global perspectives with content that we believe represents professional challenges that physiotherapists around the world are facing today. The topics cover a range of timely topics, such as pain management, services for refugees and migrants, health economics, and the role of technology, and are relevant to clinicians, managers, educators and researchers,” said Shane Patman, Chair of WCPT’s congress programme committee (CPC), which has responsibility for putting together the programme for the WCPT Congress 2021. 

“Focused symposia are a great opportunity to hear from world-renowned speakers that are experts in their area and gain a unique global understanding and insight into a particular field. 

“The CPC is excited to announce the first confirmed programming for the WCPT Congress 2021 and is looking forward to developing it further with relevant and innovative content.” 

Each focused symposium is organised by a recognised expert in the field, who leads an international group of speakers working together and engaging with the audience to draw out the relevance, challenges, applicability and take-home messages. 

Read further details about the focused symposia for the WCPT Congress 2021. 

COVID-19

WCPT and the congress programme committee are continuing to monitor the fast evolving global situation created by the spread of COVID-19. However, planning is proceeding for a WCPT congress in Dubai next April and we will advise you if there are any changes likely to impact the event. Information and resources, in a number of languages, about COVID-19 are available for member organisations.

Details of focused symposium subjects and speakers

• Commonly Misunderstood Statistics In Physiotherapy Research: Mark Elkins (Australia), Clare Ardern (Sweden), Quinette Iouw (South Africa), Rafael Zambelli Pinto (Brazil) 
• Expanding Role Of Physiotherapy In Global Cardiovascular Health: Julie Redfern (Australia), Rufus Adesoji Adedoyin (Nigeria), Jennifer Jones (United Kingdom), Nicole Lowres (Australia), Lee Nedkoff (Australia) 
• Health Economics And Physiotherapy: Applying Concepts Of Global Price Elasticity: Michel Landry (Canada), Nihad Almasri (Jordan), Joseph Capo-Chichi (Benin), Sidy Dieye (France), Melissa Locke (Australia) 
• Implementing Virtual Environments And Serious Games In Neurological Pt Practice: Judith Deutsch (United States), Kelly Bower (Australia), Leanne Hassett (Australia), Jose Eduardo Pompeu (Brazil) 
• Musculoskeletal Disorders – How Specific Should Treatment Be?: David Christiansen (Denmark), François Desmeules (Canada), Karen Mccreesh (Ireland), Jean Sébastien Roy (Canada), Gisela Sole (New Zealand) 
• Optimizing Physiotherapy Services For People With Refugee Or Migrant Experience: Emer Mcgowan (Ireland), Joanne Kibet (Kenya), Hernan C Labao (Philippines), Joost Van Wijchen (Netherlands), Lori Maria Walton (United States) 
• Overcoming Barriers To Accessing Evidence In Low-Resource Countries: Anne Moseley (Australia), Jean Damascene Gasherebuka (Rwanda), Guillermo Gómez (Argentina), Saurab Sharma (Nepal), Vincent Singh Paramanandam (India) 
• Pain Neuroscience Education In Under-Served And Understudied Populations: Emilio "Louie" Puentedura (United States), Iris Coppieters (Belgium), Mukesh Pokharel (Nepal), Anabela G. Silva (Portugal)