The Inaugural Meeting of the Ontario Society for Posture and Gait Research (OSPGR)

ISPGR recently approved the Society’s first official local chapter, marking an exciting milestone for the society. This post details the successful launch and inaugural conference for the society’s first local chapter, the Ontario Society for Posture and Gait Research (OSPGR). ISPGR remains committed to supporting the launch of other official local chapters. Please follow the society’s postings via the blog, social media, and newsletters for further specific details relating to this process.

As with most good ideas, the planning for this meeting started over a beer on a patio. Initial conversations took place prior to Covid-19 and resumed in earnest in the months leading up to the ISPGR World Congress in Maastricht in 2025. From the outset, the singular aim of this meeting was to establish a mechanism for an accessible student-focused gathering for Ontario-based trainees, researchers, clinicians, community members, and industry partners that intentionally moved beyond traditional posture and gait research dissemination by emphasizing mentorship and meaningful knowledge mobilization in off-years between ISPGR World Congress meetings. We succeeded in achieving this goal.

The meeting took place at York University in Toronto on June 4 & 5, 2026 and featured a keynote address delivered by Bill McIlroy (Professor Emeritus, University of Waterloo), who encouraged the audience to take chances, learn new techniques, align with things that are motivating, and to engage in meaningful collaborations. The meeting also included engaging panel discussions on ‘Priorities for balance and mobility in the community: Lived experiences’ from community/hospital-based clinicians and health service providers, ‘Career paths outside of academia’ from previous ISPGR trainees now working in industry, and ‘Conceptualizing Lab-to-Market: A conversation around innovation and regulatory processes’ related to commercialization. Karl Zabjek (University of Toronto) presented a proposal for data sharing opportunities that could exist across OSPGR sites.

Trainees at the undergraduate to post-doctoral levels presented their research during poster or 3MT ® presentations. Maureen Krelove (York University) was the recipient of the Emily McIntosh 3MT® Competition Award, named in dedication to Dr. Emily McIntosh, a former trainee of Lori Vallis (University of Guelph). In total, 100 attendees (including speakers) from 14 institutions attended this inaugural event. Initial feedback has been positive, with attendees providing high ratings for the panel discussions, networking and professional development opportunities, and poster sessions. Attendees identified the key takeaways as centering on the importance of community, showcasing impactful research, and creating opportunities for collaboration and growth.

As the first official Chapter of the ISPGR, we were happy to take on the responsibility and challenge of establishing a template for the development of other Chapters and of designing a unique knowledge-sharing event while still aligning to ISPGR themes. We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2028 Ontario Chapter meeting!

About the Author