UK to lead keynote speakers list at World Physiotherapy Congress

Eight physiotherapists from the United Kingdom will be among the main speakers at the profession’s largest and most important international gathering, the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025, to be held next May in Japan.

They will be contributing to a focused symposium featuring international speakers from across different World Physiotherapy regions. Focused symposia are core congress sessions where cutting edge relevant topics will be explored from an international and diverse perspective.

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.

A record number of focused symposia were submitted – 164 in total. The congress programme includes 24 confirmed focused symposia featuring 93 speakers from 39 countries/territories.

Speakers from the UK and the subjects of their focused symposium

Jo Dawes – Bridging gaps and breaking barriers

  • A global perspective on providing physiotherapy care for people experiencing homelessness.

Clair Jacobs – Trauma-informed approach to pain

  • Attending to the human aspects of care

Rachael Lowe – Dynamics tool to advance sustainable rehabilitation 

  • Workforce development to support the rehabilitation 2030 agenda

Chidozie Mbada and Nicola Walsh – First contact physiotherapy

  • Addressing implementation challenges across a range of cultural contexts

Tracey Smythe – Clinic to classroom

  • Physiotherapists' perspective on innovative technology for inclusion of children with neurodevelopment disorders

Rachel C Stockley - Global stroke rehabilitation

  • Exploring excellence in global stroke rehabilitation

Brendon Stubbs – Optimising outcomes and supporting mental health across all settings

  • Opportunities for physiotherapists in collaboration, exercise, and pain

Paula Williamson – Measuring what matters

  • The relevance of core outcomes sets to physiotherapy
     

CSP Council chair Ishmael Beckford said:

It’s great to have such a large contingent of UK physiotherapist and CSP members presenting at one of the professions premier international events.

'This is an amazing opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise, supporting World Physiotherapy’s commitment to furthering the physiotherapy profession and improving global health.'

Catherine Joy Escuadra, chair of World Physiotherapy’s congress programme committee, said: 'We were incredibly pleased with the breadth and quality of the many proposals we received.

'The focused symposia to be presented in Tokyo combine truly global perspectives with content that we believe represents the professional challenges that physiotherapists around the world are facing today.'

More details about the focused symposia for World Physiotherapy Congress 2025

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