WORLD PHYSIOTHERAPY - Key Persons


A J Fernando

Job Titles:
  • Member of Canadian Physiotherapy Association

Aimee Stewart

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee
  • Member of South African Society of Physiotherapy

Alia Alghwiri

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • General Executive Board Member
  • Member of Jordanian Physiotherapy Society
  • Professor
Alia is a professor at the department of physiotherapy and the vice dean of the school of rehabilitation sciences at the University of Jordan. She has been teaching for 11 years and became the first full professor in Jordan in 2019. Alia is a former president of the Jordanian Physiotherapy Society and the current general secretary of the Jordanian Athletic Therapy Association. She served as a member of congress programme committee for our congress in Geneva in 2019.

Alice Jones

Job Titles:
  • Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association
  • Member of Committee

Birgit Mueller-Winkler

Job Titles:
  • Senior Professional Adviser
Birgit supports the congress programme committee, which develops the scientific programme for World Physiotherapy Congress. She also works on policy projects and is the staff support to the consultant undertaking the project to develop regulations and implement the constitution.

Brian Davey

Job Titles:
  • Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association

Carmen Suarez Serrano

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Spanish Association of Physiotherapists

Chris Wong

Job Titles:
  • Trustee

Constance Schlegl

Job Titles:
  • Member of Austrian Physiotherapy Association
  • Member of Committee

Dan Moore

Job Titles:
  • IT and Data Manager
Dan is responsible for the strategic direction and operational implementation of all business information technology systems, including the website, membership database and platforms and portals to support the World Physiotherapy Congress scientific programme. He is also responsible for growing the capacity of the organisation to use data to inform business activities and expand the services offered to members.

David O'Connor

Job Titles:
  • Trustee

David Teager

Job Titles:
  • Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Djenana Jalovcic

Job Titles:
  • Education Professional Adviser
Djenana provides advice on education as one of the key areas of World Physiotherapy activities. She works on a portfolio of education projects ranging from physiotherapists' professional entry level education and continuing professional development to facilitating community building and networking among physiotherapy educators.

Doreen Moore

Job Titles:
  • Member of Canadian Physiotherapy Association

Edgar Hernandez Alvarez

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Colombian Association of Physiotherapy

Emily Beale

Job Titles:
  • Business Support Officer

Emma Stokes - President

Job Titles:
  • President
Emma has worked for more than 25 years at Trinity College Dublin as an associate professor in physiotherapy and vice president of global engagement. Her research interests are stroke rehabilitation, outcome measurement, and national and international professional issues for physiotherapy. In 2015, she was elected to serve as president of World Physiotherapy and was elected for a second term in 2019. Emma is also president of the Global Rehabilitation Alliance. She has extensive experience as a member and chair of boards in Ireland and internationally in a diversity of settings including education, health, research, and regulation.

Esther-Mary D'Arcy

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Member of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists

Eugene Michels

Job Titles:
  • Member of American Physical Therapy Association

Freya Rodger

Job Titles:
  • Head of Marketing and Communications
  • Head of Marketing and Communications, on
Freya is responsible for the development and delivery of marketing and communications on all World Physiotherapy activities.

Gill Rawlinson

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Gwen Griffin

Job Titles:
  • Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Heidi Kosakowski

Job Titles:
  • Head
  • Head of Membership

Ibtissam Saab

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Order of Physiotherapists in Lebanon

Jean Damascene Gasherebuka

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Member of Rwanda Physical Therapy Organisation
  • Regional Executive Board Member
Jean is a highly motivated and experienced physiotherapy clinician and educator from Rwanda, in the Eastern part of Africa. He graduated from Wits University in Johannesburg (BSc and MSc PT, 2007) and is a manual therapy expert (OMT 1, 2006). Since 2007, he has been working as a part-time lecturer and clinical supervisor in the physiotherapy department at the University of Rwanda. He is the chairperson of the Rwanda Allied Professions Regulatory Body (2013-2019). Jean has held many leadership positions at national and international levels, including president of the Association of Rwandan Physiotherapy, secretary and chair of our Africa region (2008-2014). He has also participated in a number of our technical committees and was one of the mentors involved with our SUDA project.

Jefferson Cardoso

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee
  • Member of Physiotherapists' Association of Brazil

Jenani Ganeshan

Job Titles:
  • Accountant

John Xerri de Caro

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Finance Committee
  • Member of Malta Association of Physiotherapists
  • Regional Executive Board Member
John is a lecturer at the Department of Physiotherapy in the University of Malta and a previous president of the Malta Association of Physiotherapists. His research interest is physiotherapy educational governance. He has served as a member of our Europe region's EU matters and education matters working groups, and has been on our board since 2014.

Jonathon Kruger - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer

Joost Van Wijchen

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Norwegian Physiotherapist Association

Joseph Martial Capo-Chichi

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Capo
  • Member of Beninoise Association of Physiotherapists - Reeducators

Judy King

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Canadian Physiotherapy Association

Julie Richardson

Job Titles:
  • Member of Canadian Physiotherapy Association
  • Member of Committee

Karim Martina Alvis Gómez - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Physiotherapist Education
  • Regional Executive Board Member
Karim is passionate about physiotherapist education and has been involved in teaching physiotherapy students for more than 30 years. Her research interests include mechanics and neuromechanics of human movement; disability, rehabilitation, and social inclusion; professional development, quality assurance of professional practice and education.

Lucy Ridley

Job Titles:
  • Senior Scientific Programme Coordinator
Lucy coordinates the scientific programme for the World Physiotherapy congress. This includes managing abstract submission processes, abstract review, session notifications, and speaker management.

Magdalena Hagner

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Polish Chamber of Physiotherapists

Margrit List

Job Titles:
  • Member of German Association for Physiotherapy

Marilyn Moffat

Job Titles:
  • Member of American Physical Therapy Association

Melissa Locke - Chairman, VP

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Member of the Finance Committee
  • Vice President
Melissa is a private practitioner in South East Queensland, Australia, with expertise in paediatrics and disability. Melissa is the first physiotherapist to gain clinical specialisation in paediatrics from the Australian College of Physiotherapists. She is a former university lecturer and clinical educator. She is past president and honorary life member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and is currently on the board of the Australian Physiotherapy Council, Taekwondo Queensland, and the GRT Foundation. She is passionate about global health and leadership, contemporary governance, organisational change and identifying and managing organisational risk. A past AWP regional executive member, she served on the board between 2015 and 2017, and was our inaugural treasurer and chair of the finance committee.

Mia Lockner

Job Titles:
  • Marketing and Communications Manager
Mia is responsible for general marketing and communications, including World Physiotherapy E-News, social media and World PT Day. She manages the marketing plan for our congress.

Mildred Elson

Job Titles:
  • Member of American Physical Therapy Association

Narasimman Swaminathan

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Indian Association of Physiotherapists

Oscar Ronzio

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Member of Argentine Association of Kinesiology

Pablo Davó Cabra

Job Titles:
  • Professional Adviser

Roma Forbes

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Education Committee
  • Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association

Rudie Agersnap

Job Titles:
  • Member of Association of Danish Physiotherapists

Sandra Mercer Moore

Job Titles:
  • Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association

Scott Ward

Job Titles:
  • Member of American Physical Therapy Association
  • Member of Committee

Shih-fen Hsiao

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee
  • Member of Taiwan Physical Therapy Association

Sibyl Edward

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Member of Physiotherapy Association of Saint Lucia

Sidy Dieye

Job Titles:
  • Head
  • Head of Programmes and Development

Stacy de Gale - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Regional Executive Board Member
Stacy is an active clinician, advocate and lecturer with 19 years' experience as a physiotherapist. She is the owner and manager of Back In Motion Physical Therapy Services, Trinidad. She served as chair of our North America Caribbean region for eight years. She was also elected as chairperson of the Physiotherapists' Board of Trinidad and Tobago, president, secretary and public relations officer of the Physiotherapy Association of Trinidad and Tobago, each for two terms. She is an active advocate for improving public sector physiotherapy and rehabilitative services in the English-speaking Caribbean. Her education in the Caribbean and North America, years of mentoring physiotherapy students throughout the region, and networking with physiotherapists globally; has enhanced her desire to delve into global physiotherapy and her drive to create a global physiotherapy village.

Suh-Fang Jeng

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Membership Committee
  • Member of Taiwan Physical Therapy Association

Titi Ige

Job Titles:
  • Accounts and Finance Officer

Tony Cheeseman - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Head of Finance

Tracy Bury

Job Titles:
  • Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Yasushi Uchiyama

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee
  • Member of Japanese Physical Therapy Association
  • Professor
  • Regional Executive Board Member
Yasushi is a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine in Nagoya University, Japan. He holds a Master and PhD in Engineering. His current research and education focuses mainly on postural control, clinical reasoning for neurological disorders, robotics, and transdisciplinary education. He has published over 300 papers in journals and books. He has been involved with the Japanese Physical Therapy Association as an executive board member for 18 years and has been the association's vice president for 12 years.