Elections

Dr. Li-Shan Chou has performed basic and clinical research which has advanced our understanding of how dynamic balance is controlled during human locomotion. His work has resulted in novel assessment protocols and biomechanical markers that provide objective quantification of deficits in gait and balance control, the most common mobility impairment in older adults and patients with neurological disorders. Dr. Chou has gained deep satisfaction by contributing to the personal development of his mentees and their subsequent career paths as researchers, clinicians, educators, leaders, and colleagues. His work exemplifies the partnership of engineers and clinicians who have produced an education and research program to translate laboratory research findings into practice guidelines for patient care. In addition, during his tenure as a department head/chair, he has been very successful in recruiting young talented scientists and mentoring junior faculty members toward academic success. He look forward to extending his research expertise and leadership/mentoring skills to the greater community of gait and posture researchers and professionals.

I have greatly enjoyed attending the meetings and would like to give back given my many years of benefits of being a member of the society. I have extensive leadership experience in academia (School Associate Dean, Graduate Program Chair, Department Senior Associate Chair), publishing (Journal Editor-in-Chief and multiple editorial boards), and in scientific societies and conferences (Meeting Chair, Program Chair, Executive Board, and many Committees). Given that the current board is particularly interested in skill sets related to organizational leadership and skills transferable to managing and leading the Society, I feel that now is a good time to contribute more to ISPGR.

As a previous Promising Scientist Awardee (2019), I am dedicated to ISPGR’s excellence and growth. I have attended three meetings, written a blog, and volunteered for the awards committee. I will bring skills in organization, leadership, and inclusion. I have successfully organized both national (>600) and local meetings (~200). I have chaired city-wide to departmental committees and have served as Interim Director of a nationally recognized institute of sports medicine and human performance. I am an advocate of underrepresented groups in STEM, serving on DEI committees. I have a unique background, taking gap years and working for government, public, and private sectors, providing me skills not necessarily common in academia. My expertise in organizational leadership and skills in problem solving and project & people management, will complement the Board. My research interests add a unique lens to human movement, namely coupling of biorhythms, variability analysis, and resiliency in older adults.

I’m Orthopaedic Surgeon treating patient with chronic Pain due to either Postural or post traumatic.
In my opinion Posture is most important determinant of Musculoskeletal disorder, But unfortunately the study of proper posture and gait remain in academic curiculam as research tools, But not in clinical practices specially in third country like India. This leads to use of narcotics and antipshycotic drugs for the treatment of Chronic musculoskeletal pain. After Joining the Board of ISPGR, I may raise this issue more effectively as well promote the cause and mission of ISPGR in my country with help of researchers and scholars of ISPGR.

My research encompasses many topics covered by the ISPGR , including fall prevention, biomechanics, mobile brain imaging, neurological diseases, cognitive motor interference, etc . The ISPGR is therefore the most relevant professional organization in my field of research. I have been fortunate to attend and present at all Congresses but one since 2007. I have been wanting to “give back” to the ISPGR by joining the Scientific and the Communications committees in 2017 and editing the ISPGR blog from December 2019 to 2023. As part of my roles as Executive Board member (2014-) and Communications Manager (2023-) of the Australia New Zealand Falls Prevention Society (~500members), I have been involved in discussing strategic directions, promotion activities (website, newsletters and social media) and the organisation of educational symposiums and webinars. I am co-host for the 2025 ANZ falls conference in Sydney. I hope those skills might benefit the ISPGR Board.

I am nominating myself to be a board member of the ISPGR. There are numerous reasons why I want to be part of the board. First, I do believe that everyone benefits from diversity. I am originally from Brazil but have lived and worked in Australia for the last 10 years. I have been trained in both countries under the mentorship of senior ISPGR members (Prof Gobbi and Prof Lord). I can bring a broad perspective of the field allied to being an early career researcher, which was recognised by an ISPGR emerging award last year. In addition, I have been working as part of the communication team for the last three years, so I understand a bit about how society works already. So, I would like to bring concerns, doubts, and suggestions concerning communications and all aspects relevant to our society (e.g., academic skills, research, training, etc.).

I would like to nominate myself to be on the ISPGR board. I have been a committed member of the society since 2014, attending all 6 congresses, served on the scientific committee since 2019 and awarded Best Clinical poster for two consecutive congresses. I have conducted research in the field of gait and postural control for >15years, specialising in ageing and neurodegeneration. I lead a Gait Laboratory overseeing a range of clinical trials involving the investigation of gait and balance. I am a senior member of a large multidisciplinary research group, part of large international research consortia and have conducted research overseas through mobility award funding. Through these activities, I have acquired transferable skills necessary for representing the ISPGR board including effective leadership, communication and team-working. Serving on the board would provide an opportunity to support research initiatives that are important to me such as knowledge transfer, collaboration and innovation.

Chesney has been an enthusiastic ISPGR member since she attended the 2015 World Congress in Seville during her PhD. Through ISPGR involvement, Chesney has collaborated extensively on research related to gait impairment and falls in Parkinson’s Disease and ageing, including collaborations with Prof Lynn Rochester’s lab (Newcastle University), Prof Nico Bohnen (University of Michigan) and Dr Kim Van Schooten (NeuRA, Australia). As an Associate Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, Chesney’s research takes an interdisciplinary approach working alongside clinicians and charity partners (Parkinson’s UK) to develop patient-informed interventions to improve mobility and reduce falls in people with Parkinson’s. In 2019, Chesney joined the ISPGR External Relations committee, through which she continues to showcase the ISPGR community to establish new external partnerships. As a board member, Chesney hopes to further utilise her external partnerships to expand the multidisciplinary resources available to members, including new links with EEG partners and wearable sensor companies.

I have been involved in Posture and Gait research since 2006, starting with postdoctoral work at KU Leuven on posture-cognitive dual-task performance in healthy aging. My research has since explored multisensory integration, dual-tasking, and anxiety in various populations, including young and older adults, people with depression, Parkinson’s, and autism. My passion for this field is driven by its potential to improve the quality of life for older adults and clinical populations. A core priority of my work is being ‘user-led,’ incorporating participants’ input in setting priorities and designing studies. Recently, I co-founded Parkinson’s@NI, a hub connecting people interested in Parkinson’s research, including patients, researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals in the island of Ireland. As a Board member I will help the society organise initiatives to showcase the impact of our members’ research and to establish stronger links with the community of our participants and their families around the world.

With a PhD in Biomechanics and Motor Control from the University of Ottawa and my current role as Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at Manchester Metropolitan University, I bring a strong background in research and leadership. Since joining ISPGR in 2016, I have been engaged with the society’s mission, which aligns with my research on how impairments affect gait and postural control throughout the lifespan, and translating this into clinical practice.

If elected to the ISPGR Board, I will focus on enhancing the society’s visibility, promoting interdisciplinary research, and fostering collaborations. As an early career researcher, I have benefited greatly from ISPGR’s networking opportunities, which have facilitated collaborations enriching my work and contributed to broader academic discussions. I am dedicated to supporting other early career researchers, leveraging my experiences to mentor emerging academics. This focus will complement the board’s existing strengths and help ensure a vibrant, well-supported next generation of scholars.

Dr Toby Ellmers has shown a consistent commitment to ISPGR since joining in 2014. He has attended every conference since 2015, and has been a consistently active contributor throughout (2 orals presentations, 3 posters, 2 symposium presentations (one of which he organised), and one award keynote/plenary presentation). He serves as a ‘mentor’ within ISPGR’s mentorship scheme, and has contributed to ISPGR’s blog multiple times. He also received the honour of ISPGR’s ‘Promising Scientist Award’ in 2023. In his own words, ISPGR is Toby’s ‘academic home’, and he credits the society for being a key reason why he stayed in academia post-PhD. He is motivated to ‘give back’ to the society by serving on the committee, and doing all he can ensure that emerging posture and gait researchers similarly get to experience the joys of ISPGR. Toby has experience organising national conferences (Gait and Posture satellite meeting at the 2023 British Society for Neuro-Otology biennual conference) and is excited to bring this experience to ISPGR.